Report: Martellus Bennett wants to keep playing, could return to Patriots
Martellus Bennett returned to the Patriots last season under bizarre circumstances after a brief stint in Green Bay, and he has since said that he will likely retire. Has the tight end had a change over heart over the past several months?
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Bennett is planning to play in 2018. He is still under contract with New England at the moment, and Rapoport wonders if the Patriots could choose to keep him.
Despite publicly contemplating retirement last season, #Patriots TE Martellus Bennett does want to continue playing, I’m told. He’s due a $2M roster bonus on March 14, so New England has a decision… but his $6.2M cap hit isn’t bad.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 23, 2018
Bennett will turn 31 next month, so he could conceivably have at least another good season in him if he’s healthy. He dealt with hamstring and shoulder injuries during his short time with the Packers in 2017, the latter of which eventually sent him to injured reserve.
The Packers waived Bennett in November and said he failed to disclose a shoulder injury. Bennett’s agent then supposedly dissuaded teams from picking up his client off waivers because of his shoulder, though the tight end changed his mind once the Patriots showed interest and decided to sign with them. Bennett was ripped by several of his former teammates in Green Bay after he rejoined the Pats.
Should he decide to return, perhaps the Patriots will restructure Bennett’s contract to spread the money out. They can never have enough offensive weapons, and Bennett played a huge role en route to a Super Bowl title two years ago when Rob Gronkowski went down with a back injury.
