As the New England Patriots celebrate their 5th Super Bowl championship, tight end Martellus Bennett is already thinking about the future. With his free agency looming this offseason, Bennett had this to say regarding his future.
“I’m going into free agency as a Super Bowl champion,” the enigmatic tight end declared after the win, according to the New York Daily News. “You know they overpay Super Bowl champions!“
Bennett, 29, will be highly coveted on the open market. After having a reputation for being a troublemaker, Bennett’s character was no problem at all for the Patriots. Since winning the Super Bowl he has already come out and said he will not be attending the White House ceremony because of Donald Trump.
Martellus Bennett is in the final year of a 4-year deal that paid him just north of $5 million in 2016. It’s very possible that the Patriots will franchise tag him as the tag number for tight ends is typically low. According to Spotrac.com, the Patriots will have approximately $67 million in cap space so don’t expect him to leave New England unless a mega contract is thrown his way. Given the inconsistent health of Gronk, I expect Bennett to remain a priority for the Patriots this offseason.