Seahawks: What Should They Do About Michael Bennett’s Contract?
By Paul Taylor
While the Seattle Seahawks’ front office accepts Michael Bennett is probably unhappy with his current contract, the questions remains as to what can be done about it?
As the Seattle Seahawks have discovered since winning Super Bowl XLVIII, it’s tough to stay on top, especially with the NFL set up to promote parity. In that respect, look no further than the salary cap, which has been in place since the 1994 season.
Unfortunately, the addition of the cap has helped show how selfish professional athletes can be. However, it only seems fair to point out this is no different to most careers and indeed aspects of life, with humans naturally being greedy and narcissistic.
Regardless, it must be frustrating at times for NFL front offices, when they have players coming to them with unrealistic demands. For the Seahawks, the case of Kam Chancellor immediately springs to mind.
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Now in the interest of objectivity, it is acknowledged football players have short careers and are often cut at a moment’s notice. However, there is still a better way to do things rather than hold out, especially when you’re only one year into a contract extension you willingly agreed to.
Chancellor’s approach is important to note, as it differed from that of Michael Bennett. Despite also being unhappy with his contract, Bennett decided to play hard and show he was worth more.
The 30-year went on to record the most sacks and tackles of his career, and was selected to his first ever Pro Bowl. As of right now, he is still frustrated with his current contract and has once again missed the organized team activities (OTAs).
Even John Schneider acknowledges Bennett’s unhappiness with his deal. Speaking to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Seahawks general manager said: “I don’t get the impression he is fine with his contract.”
However, Schneider is hoping his defensive end will apply some common sense to the situation: “But I think he recognizes this is a team sport and I’m sure he sees a couple of his teammates who have one year left on their contracts.
“He has two left on his. We have a couple of guys that are going to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, that we’d like to try to take care of as well.”
Regardless of the situation, Schneider isn’t concerned about the pass rusher’s absence from OTAs, which are optional anyway: “Michael is a guy that takes very good care of his body.”
In truth, even if the Seahawks did attempt to renegotiate Bennett’s contact, it would be tough to do at this stage, with less than $10 million in cap space available. With Schneider’s aforementioned comments regarding other players on the team, they just isn’t the money available to appease number 72.
This likely explains why nothing more happened, after a meeting a few months ago between the Seahawks and Bennett’s agent. While there is no evidence to suggest it at this juncture, there are still some concerns the lack of progress could lead to a hold out.
However, given the current situation, the Avondale, Louisiana native would be best served to take a similar approach to last year. Apart from the fact he would prove he is a team player, the Seahawks will more than likely show their appreciation by taking care of him next offseason.
Next: Seahawks gearing up for high expectations in 2016
What would you do about Bennett’s contract? Attempt to renegotiate it now, wait a year or tell him to grin and bear it for the final two seasons? Let us know in the comments section below.