- On Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Green Bay Packers waived tight end Martellus Bennett with the failure to disclose a medical condition designation, the following day, the tenth-year tight end was claimed by the New England Patriots on waivers. The news was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
- However, a recent report from Ian Rapoport states that the Packers released Bennett because of a torn rotator cuff. While he may try and play through it with his new team, he could also require season-ending surgery and head straight to IR.
- Bennett, who signed with the Packers this offseason, has had a down-year up this point, catching 24-of-27 catchable targets for just 233 receiving yards and no touchdowns. Through nine weeks, Bennett’s average of 1.07 yards per route run ranks 37th of 42 tight ends with at least 16 targets and his PFF overall grade of 46.0 ranks 51st of 67 qualifying players at the position.
- Bennett will now return to New England, where he played last season and served as a vital part of the team’s Super Bowl run after tight end Rob Gronkowski was lost for the season. Bennett played 78.4 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps last year and caught 66 passes for 799 receiving yards and a career-high seven scores. His average of 1.96 yards per route run was also the highest mark of his career.
- Instead of re-signing Bennett in the offseason, the Patriots elected to trade for tight end Dwayne Allen, but Allen has yet to record a catch for the team. In part because of that, the Patriots have struggled in the red zone this year, managing to convert just 31.8 percent of their red zone attempts into a first down or a touchdown, which ranks 21st among the league’s offenses. Bennett has the potential to change that, as he was a weapon for the team in the red zone last year, catching 9-of-11 targets for 88 yards, and six of his touchdowns, generating a passer rating of 139.6, the best mark among tight ends with at least five targets in the red zone.
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