Update:
According to Albert Breer, Martellus Bennett receives a three-year, $20.25 million contract from the Packers with $6.3 million guaranteed. Breer says that Bennett will earn $7.8 million in 2017, but believes this is “very much a year-to-year” contract.
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Martellus Bennett has confirmed the news via his Instagram account.
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Adam Schefter is reporting that the Packers are signing veteran TEÂ Martellus Bennett to a contract.
Numerous reports from an hour ago said that the Packers were out on Jared Cook and he wouldn’t be returning to Green Bay, which caused many to wonder what the team’s plan at tight end was.
Ted Thompson rarely targets notable free agents, especially when it could impact future compensatory picks. However, they must have determined that it was better to pay Bennett a solid contract than commit to Cook for multiple years.
Bennett, 29, is a former first-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2008. He spent four years in Dallas before joining the Giants as a free agent. The Bears later signed him to a contract only to trade him to the Patriots in return for a fourth-round pick.
Bennett just finished the final year of his four-year, $20.4 million contract that included $5.215 million guaranteed and made a base salary of $5.085 million for the 2016 season.
In 2016, Bennett appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots and caught 55 passes for 701 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 10 tight end out of 63 qualifying players.
We had him featured in our Top 50 Available Free Agents list.
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