How Martellus Bennett went from getting cut by Packers to active for Patriots in 4 days

It’s been a busy few weeks for tight end Martellus Bennett. Somehow, after speculating about retirement, dealing with a shoulder injury, and eventually parting ways with the Green Bay Packers on bitter terms, he’s active for the Patriots four days later.

Bennett was ready to throw in the towel on his 2017 season due to a torn rotator cuff, but a change of scenery has returned him to Bill Belichick’s lineup. If he plays Sunday night against the Broncos, he’ll have regained his role with the Patriots despite just three days of practicing with the team. New England can use him, too — Dwayne Allen, acquired by New England to fill Bennett’s role last offseason, has yet to make a reception in 2017.

So how did we return to a world where Tom Brady is slinging passes to Martellus Bennett?

Bennett was a major part of New England’s 2016 Super Bowl run, making 12 starts and catching a career-high seven touchdowns as the team’s tight end 1B behind Rob Gronkowski. His big year led to a big payout, where he swapped one elite quarterback (Brady) for another (Aaron Rodgers).

The move didn’t pay out for any of the involved parties. Bennett’s catch rate, receptions per game, and yards per catch all fell as he struggled to provide an upgrade for Green Bay. Allen, acquired for the cost of a fourth round draft pick, failed to fill Bennett’s shoes in New England. With targets like Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell, and Chris Hogan all dealing with injuries, the Patriots find themselves in need of receiving help.

Bennett is only 30 years old, but in his 10th season as a pro. While 2016 showed he still has plenty of good football in his future, lingering injury concerns were a main factor in his decision.

The move was a surprising one. Bennett was expected to miss time in order to heal his ailing shoulder, but internal issues led to the franchise cutting its biggest 2017 acquisition after only appearing in seven games. Bennett had a limited impact in green and gold, averaging a little more than three receptions and 33 yards per game with the club.

That’s pricey, but New England can release him this offseason without any guaranteed money affecting their future salary cap. With Bennett openly toying with retirement, the move is a relatively low-risk one for the Patriots. The club waives defensive lineman Geneo Grissom to create a roster spot for the veteran tight end, but later brings him back to the fold on its practice squad.

What’s even more remarkable is that Bennett had told teams not to claim him. He planned on having surgery and retiring, but the Patriots did anyway.

He was Disneyland when he got the call.

The oft-outspoken veteran didn’t hold back, taking the team to task for trying to steer him away from getting surgery on his injured shoulder.

You can check out the whole screed here. Wideout Jordy Nelson, who has dealt with his share of injuries in his time as a Packer, would later come to his training staff’s defense.

And here we are. Bennett determined playing for the Patriots was a situation in which he could play through the pain. The upgrade from Brett Hundley to Tom Brady may have also played a role.

He didn’t play a lot, but he did catch three passes for 38 yards.

Bennett didn’t let the criticism from his former team and teammates get to him. He got few words in after the game.

The Patriots newest tight end said after the game that he was reconsidering retirement after this season.

“It was pretty cool,” he said of playing with the Patriots again. “Last week, I thought I was going to be on IR, so it’s just been a surreal week for me.”

He’s got two years left on his contract, but he’s also got to see where things stand with his shoulder injury sometime before next season starts.