In October, tight end Martellus Bennett said that he was “pretty sure” that the 2017 season would be his final one as an active player in the NFL.
Bennett is apparently less sure that’s the case now that the season has come to an end. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Bennett wants to continue playing in 2018.
Bennett was playing for the Packers when he mused about retiring, but his stay in Green Bay ended a short time later when the Packers cut him with a failure to disclose injury designation. Bennett had a shoulder injury and said that he needed surgery that the Packers didn’t want him to have, which made his departure from the team a contentious one. That didn’t stop the Patriots from bringing him back to New England, but he only played two games before landing on injured reserve.
Bennett is under contract for next season with a salary of $3.6 million and has a $2 million roster bonus due on March 14. The Patriots can recoup his entire $6.187 million cap hit if they release him, although any decision on that front will likely involve thoughts about both Bennett’s health and Rob Gronkowski’s decision about continuing his career.
