One of the recent Bears signings this offseason was the signing of tight end Bear Pascoe, with the Atlanta Falcons last season and before that a New York Giants teammate of Martellus Bennett (2012) before Bennett signed a four-year deal as a free agent with the Bears in 2013.
Now Bennett, who has stayed away from this week’s voluntary minicamp, is reportedly looking for a new contract after a 90-catch season in 2014 that got him to the Pro Bowl. That new contract might not be coming from the Bears, who are open to trade offers for the mercurial tight end, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
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Citing league sources, Schefter tweeted, “Bennett wants a new contract in Chicago or anywhere.”
General manager Ryan Pace gave no indication of issues with either Bennett or running back Matt Forte, also absent from minicamp and hoping for a contract extension.
“I know these are individual choices by each player,” Pace said. “I understand this is all voluntary. With (Forte) and Martellus, of course we want them to be here, especially Year 1 where we’re building chemistry and culture. But those are individual choices, and these are voluntary right now.”