Due a $2-million roster bonus on March 14, Martellus Bennett is cut by the team.
Martellus Bennett’s on-again, off-again relationship with the Patriots is off again.
The Patriots released the 10-year veteran on Wednesday, one of two moves they made during the day. The team also waived wide receiver-return man Bernard Reedy, who appeared in two games with them last season, returning four punts for 32 yards.
Bennett, who could have provided some insurance, perhaps even have been the team’s No. 1 tight end if Rob Gronkowski is serious about pursuing a career in professional wrestling or acting, was due to receive a $2-million roster bonus on March 14.
Claimed off waivers from the Green Bay Packers last November, Bennett appeared in just two games in his second stint with the Patriots, catching six passes for 53 yards, before being placed on the injured reserve list after suffering a hamstring injury.
Acquired by the Patriots in a trade with the Chicago Bears in 2016, Bennett’s first stint with the team was a productive one as he caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season and another 11 catches for 98 yards in the three-game postseason run that produced a Super Bowl LI championship.
Bennett signed with Green Bay, his fifth NFL team, as an unrestricted free agent, but the relationship became a stormy one and after catching 30 passes for 286 yards in nine games he was released with a “failure to disclose a physical condition” designation regarding his shoulder.
The release of Bennett, who will turn 31 on Saturday, leaves the team with four tight ends under contract: Gronkowski, veteran Dwayne Allen (a huge disappointment after being acquired in a trade with Indianapolis, he caught just 10 passes for 86 yards and one TD), Jacob Hollister (who caught four passes for 42 yards as a rookie free agent) and Will Tye (who spent all of last season on the practice squad).