The New England Patriots claimed veteran tight end Martellus Bennett off the waiver wire, one day after he was released by the Green Bay Packers for failure to disclose a medical condition, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network Insider. The 30-year-old Bennett won a Super Bowl crown with the Patriots last season before signing a three-year deal worth $21 million with the Packers in the offseason. With the Patriots, Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and a career-best seven touchdowns, but he never clicked in Green Bay, catching just 24 passes for 233 yards and no touchdown in seven games.
It remains to be seen if Bennett will suit up against the Denver Broncos Sunday. He was sidelined with a shoulder injury in their loss to the Detroit Lions Monday while the Packers ruled him out for their Sunday game against the Bears before releasing him. A 61st overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, Bennett has played 142 games in his nine-year career, catching 427 passes for 4,520 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Packers deny Bennett’s retirement plan led to cut
During the Packers’ Week 8 bye, Bennett announced that the 2017 season will be his last in the NFL. In an Instagram story post, Bennett even dedicated his last eight games “to everyone who has poured themselves and time into my life and career.” However, Packers coach Mike McCarthy denied that Bennett’s retirement talk led them to release the tight end, saying the decision was fuelled by “an injury situation.” The injury that McCarthy was referring to was the unexplained shoulder injury that Bennett failed to disclose to the team.
Rob Demovsky of ESPN said that the Packers could capitalize on Bennett’s blunder to recoup the unamortized portion of his $6.3 million signing bonus.
Colts release cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts announced the release of disgruntled cornerback Vontae Davis, who said the team disrespected him after benching him in their Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans.
On Wednesday, Davis announced that he will undergo a season-ending surgery to fix a groin issue. Davis’ decision to go under the knife came after getting a second opinion on the nagging injury. However, the Colts decided to go a different route, cutting the 29-year-old cornerback. Davis will be subjected to waivers, but no team is expected to pick him up as he is scheduled to undergo surgery. If he returns healthy, Davis will be one of the hottest names in the market in the offseason.
