Martellus Bennett is now a free agent tight end
By Matt Conner
The Green Bay Packers have made Martellus Bennett a free agent for some reason, setting the popular tight end free to sign with a new team.
There’s a brand new face on the open market on Wednesday, one who already turned heads in 2017 for being one of the best pass catchers on the open market in the spring. Now, for some reason, the Green Bay Packers have set tight end Martellus Bennett free from his contract, making him a free agent just months after signing with them in the first place.
Perhaps Bennett has an injury that no one is quite sure about. Perhaps Bennett is a distraction and unhappy after Aaron Rodgers was lost for the rest of the season. Perhaps the Packers just don’t want as dynamic of an offense as they could possibly have, or maybe they want to usher in a youth movement at a single position. This is all silly conjecture, but at any rate, Bennett is now a free agent, per Field Yates.
Source: the Packers have cut veteran TE Martellus Bennett. His time in Green Bay is over.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 8, 2017
After a season with the New England Patriots in 2016 that not only brought him a Super Bowl ring but a career-high seven touchdowns, Bennett has hardly looked the part of game-changing force in his time with the Packers. In a single half season, Bennett has 24 catches for 233 receiving yards. He also has yet to find the end zone.
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Despite hitting the age of 30 and the lack of production this year, there’s little doubt that many offenses around the NFL would love to add Bennett to their offense as another reliable pass catcher who has proven his ability to perform on the highest level. Bennett has already showcased his wares with the Patriots, so it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him return there for another shot.
What would be equally interesting is to see if Bennett would be interested in playing for Kansas City. He’s benefitted from playing alongside one Pro Bowl tight end, and Travis Kelce would remain the top target of both Alex Smith and defensive efforts. Bennett would be another veteran option tested in the playoffs who could take some heat off of other playmakers.
At this point, we don’t even know why Bennett was let go, but fans can dream and the midseason addition of a player like Bennett makes sense for myriad reasons as the Chiefs look for ways in the bye week to kickstart their team’s offensive creativity.