Defensive end Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks is a different kind of bird. Yes, even more different than whatever the heck a seahawk is. While his former teammate Marshawn Lynch was known for saying a lot by saying very little, Bennett is known simply for being brutally honest and strangely straightforward.
The man who at Super Bowl media day two years ago talked more about sex than he did football is now being extremely blunt concerning his thoughts on his current contract. To be succinct: he doesn’t like it. At all. In fact, despite having three years remaining on a four-year, $28.5 million deal at the time, Bennett would have held out of training camp last year…if not for the old battle axe back at home.
Claiming that his wife wouldn’t allow him to hold out, Bennett was very terse in a recent interview on ESPN Seattle’s Brock and Salk show concerning his loathing of the contract.
“Any American wants to get paid more at their job,” Bennett said. “I don’t think there’s anybody that goes to work and says: ‘Hey, I’m happy with how much I’m getting paid, and I love it. Don’t give me any more money.’ So that’s how I feel too.
“Of course I want to be in Seattle as long as possible. Everything about Seattle. … I love the city. I love the team. I love my teammates, love what’s going on. I love how we do things. I just love it here.”
Oddly reminiscent of the much-maligned Latrell Sprewell’s infamous quote, “I have a family to feed,” which was uttered after he turned down a three-year, $27 million contract extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004, Bennett’s remarks are a bit dangerous in today’s NFL. Bennett is 30 years old, and, though he is still one of the league’s best defensive linemen, players on the wrong side of 30, with the exception of quarterbacks and kickers, are typical considered replaceable, regardless of how great their careers have been.
To be fair to Bennett, he is coming off a phenomenal year in which he accumulated 10 sacks, the most of his career, but he assuredly has to know how this is going to end. And it definitely won’t end in dollar signs for him. Like Bennett, Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor is one of the NFL’s best and brightest at his position, and, also like Bennett, Chancellor grew unhappy with his fairly sizable contract not long after inking it. However, Chancellor actually followed through on his holdout (just last season in fact), but Seahawks general manager John Schneider remained unrelenting. Chancellor ended up returning to the team with his tail between his legs in Week 3 of the 2015 season. And there have been no further contract discussions since.
Bennett is an outstanding player, but, unfortunately for him, his age waters down his talent level. And making snippy remarks to the media concerning his distaste for his only slightly unsatisfactory contract is not going to help his job security should he experience a down year in 2016. Look at Sprewell. He was unhappy while he was making $14.6 million per year, which was quite a chunk of change in 2004, and he let it be publicly known just how unhappy he was. He then experienced a sub-par 2004-2005 season and, as a free agent during the ensuing offseason, received far less attractive contract offers than the one the Timberwolves had presented him with the year before, thus causing him to retire.
Unlike Sprewell, Bennett doesn’t have any character issues working against him, but the Seahawks have made it clear that they won’t overspend on anybody. Just look at how long it took Russell Wilson to receive a much-needed raise. Bennett should therefore be satisfied with what he has and try to top his impressive 2015 performance with an even better showing this season. Because, after all, his wife clearly feels like that is the best plan of action, and, needless to say, the wife is always right.
