Martellus Bennett did not practice in the final days of his Packers tenure and did not play against the Lions on Monday night. The Packers cut him, only for the talented tight end to return to the Patriots via waiver claim.
Bennett appeared at Patriots practice Friday, indicating he passed a physical despite reportedly having a torn rotator cuff. The 10th-year veteran addressed his status on Friday afternoon.
The 30-year-old pass-catcher said (on Instagram, via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) he did, in fact, opt for shoulder surgery earlier this season. Bennett said he asked the Packers to examine his shoulder further after the team’s Week 5 win over the Cowboys, and he added he elected to have surgery. However, Bennett says the Packers persuaded him to play through this injury — one he said was made worse this season.
Three subsequent visits to separate doctors revealed, per Bennett, the damaged shoulder needed to be repaired. And he posts that he decided to do that, only to see the Packers cut him. He alleges the Packers’ reasoning for waiving him (with a Failure to Disclose a Physical Condition designation) was bogus, writing that he circled “shoulder” weekly when he filled out a team-issued body evaluation sheet.
Bennett writes in his post he made this decision for surgery after Week 5. This comes after a report indicated the tight end wanted out of Green Bay after Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 6 injury. Bennett mentions his October declaration to retire after this season as the Packers’ reasoning for this cut. He was due a $2MM roster bonus on Day 1 of the 2018 league year. The $6.3MM guarantee in Bennett’s three-year, $21MM Packers pact was spread through 2019 via signing bonus.
While uncertain to play this week with the Patriots, Bennett is traveling to Denver, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. He’s listed as questionable to face the Broncos. Bennett now trying to play through pain for a different team, and not getting this surgery that’s been reportedly recommended, strikes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein as odd (Twitter link).
Demovsky (Twitter link) said he’s heard consistent praise for the Packers doctor Bennett’s criticized, Dr. Pat McKenzie, including rave reviews from Rodgers. Silverstein adds McKenzie has a conservative reputation when it comes to injuries, and Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal (on Twitter) echoes this sentiment.
So, this might not be the last that’s discussed about Bennett’s unremarkable (but not exactly forgettable) Packers tenure. For now, though, the Packers (via Silverstein, on Twitter) aren’t responding to Bennett’s allegations.
Bennett constantly asked for surgery, yet now can play for the Pats…something is not adding up or surprisingly, we are only get one side or half the story
My guess is he obviously can play through it but once Rodgers went down there was no reason to do so for a team not in contention and better to just get the surgery done. Now that he’s with a team with a chance at the Super Bowl he’ll tough it out.
Doesn’t really paint the best picture of Bennett but it’s hard to say any of us wouldn’t do the same.
That’s madness.
He is under CONTRACT.
Sounds like a petulant player re-writing history.
Somehow the system gets manipulated and the Pats benefit yet again, just like Blount.
Pats tampering?
You wish, 28 other teams could have put in a claim just as the pats did, they were just the benefactors for the other 28 GM’s passing on him
Put in a claim on the guy lying about needing shoulder surgery until he’s suddenly fine to play for NE?
K.
Belichick tampered again. No one cares.
If Bill Belichick ran a restaurant, he’d serve his customers alley cat to increase his profits. He never wastes a single millisecond pondering ethical concerns.
Savvy.
Amazing the number of envious Patriot haters. Everything is unethical. Reminds me of the Democrats bemoaning Trump beating a crook who they nominated after she fixed the nominating process. Get over it. Your GMs are still playing checkers at the grade school level while Bill plays chess at the Grandmaster level.
Cheaters cheat, it’s as simple as that. I️ respect it, honestly. Bill doesn’t care how blatant the tampering is. Toms getting to the end of the road. Can’t worry about rules at this point.
Really? And the support for your statement is? Oh that’s right you have no support except the same tired rhetoric that everyone else spews.
Bennett was slated for shoulder surgery, which would put him on IR. Packers waive him, but he’s slated to have surgery, so why would anyone put a claim on him when he’s said he’s retiring at the end of the season? For whatever reason, the Patriots put a claim on a guy who’s having season ending shoulder surgery who hasn’t practiced or played in two weeks. He practices for the Patriots the NEXT DAY, and Is likely to play Sunday. Support enough?