Martellus Bennett
The Green Bay Packers didn’t reach a deal with Jared Cook after last season and nobody is really sure how hard they tried. Cook went on to sign with the Oakland Raiders and currently has 39 catches for 499 yards (12.8 ypc) and one touchdown in his first nine games.
The Packers instead, signed Martellus Bennett to a three-year deal worth $21 million. But Bennett’s time in Green Bay ended on Wednesday when the Packers released him, just eight games into the season. The Packers cited a failure to disclose a physical condition.
Bennett was listed on the injury report last week with a shoulder injury. The injury was something Mike McCarthy said he didn’t know about until after practice on October 31. That practice just happened to be three days after Bennett announced on his Instagram account that he is considering retirement at the end of the season.
By claiming Bennett failed to disclose a physical condition, the Packers are saying Bennett didn’t inform them of a previous injury before signing his three-year deal with the team. It sets up the possibility that the Packers will try to recoup a portion of the signing bonus the Packers paid him.
Early in the day on Wednesday, Mike McCarthy told reporters at his press conference that Bennett was at the facility Tuesday getting medical opinions on his shoulder. He also said Bennett wouldn’t be available to play in this week’s game at Chicago against the Bears.
The feeling around Lambeau Field is when Bennett stated he was considering retirement at the end of the season, that he quit on the team after Aaron Rodgers was lost with a collarbone injury.
For most of the season, Bennett was never shy about speaking with reporters and often times talked about anything but football. Since Rodgers was hurt in the Vikings game, Bennett declined to speak with reporters about the injury or anything else.
Following the teams bye week, Bennett again refused to speak with reporters but while exiting the locker room, he said “life” is the reason for his retirement consideration.
Bennett struggled to get on track in the Packers offense. While he was a valuable blocker in the running game, he had 24 receptions for 233 yards and no touchdowns in seven games. He had seven drops which easily led the team.
The Packers will go with veterans Lance Kendricks and Richard Rodgers at tight end in the second half, which starts on Sunday at Soldiers Field.