Who is taking his side? If it's true that his agent was spinning the surgery and retirement line to the rest of the teams then the agent should be barred for a year.
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I'm not so much concerned someone 'taking his side' but whether this kind of crap is going to be allowed.
Only thing to do is get hot and beat them in the super bowl...that would be the richest payback ever.
Ha ha. You are thinking in the old ways. You need to get up to speed. That Bennett will still be a member of the Patriots by Super Bowl time is not a certainty. If NE should lose in the AFC championship game, it's likely Bennett 'mistakenly' travels home with the other team.
I am in favor of any player using the available rules to get what they want in terms of employment and compensation.
That Bennett pulled this particular stunt just reveals his priorities, which are not all that surprising given his history of short stays on a lot of teams. Even Romo couldn't work up much nice to say about Bennett when he recalled they used to be on the same team.
This is why FA is fools gold. :D
Bennett is getting the same salary from NE that he got from us so what you are saying here rings hollow. Bennett wanted to get out of town once #12 broke his collarbone. He only looks out for #1, not his teammates or the team signing his checks. NE is the only team he ever played on that has any use for him and that's because they win. If something happens over there - Brady and a bunch of players go down and they start to lose - Bennett will quit on them too.
But he didn't want to play and risk his shoulder with what he viewed as a non-contender. Its a fair read of the situation. Get paid and stay safe on IR for Packers or get paid and chase a ring with New England.
But it does make him a terrible teammate and its one reason to be somewhat suspicious of FAs.
geezus PB
Making the rounds on twitter:
Martellus Bennett Packers:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOekr5NXcAIsdwz.jpg
Martellus Bennett Patriots:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOekscAWsAEnEi4.jpg
Where he REALLY blew it was trying to throw the Doc under the bus. Not only did it not make sense with McKenzie's previous performance, but as of late Monday night, he has just proven that the Doc's most likely diagnosis, its torn but you are not likely to make it worse by continuing to play if you can manage the pain, was absolutely correct.
If you want an individual to evaluate their own tolerance for risk and make the decision for themselves, you can't pick their goals for them. Its hard to put value on team and camaraderie already and then add in a system that largely serves to make you close to disposable.
This is what this guy does and it seems pretty consistent.
And its kinda weird to blame the player for making basically the same decision team's make when letting players go.
Can't help us win a championship? Bye. Brett Goode didn't get paid while healing enough to be active for Game Days.
honest to god I don't know who stole your account. I don't have time to unpack all that's wrong here, but just for examples: Goode was actually hurt - and I believe he did get paid an injury settlement. He knows, and the Packers know that he's not quire valuable enough to stash on IR to return. Their method - legal, with in the rules - gave him a way to come back when healthy. And get paid.
Sure, tell me Bennett is hurting - sorry I don't believe you, I believe my lying eyes, that saw him pretty much perfectly fine before and after his 'retirement' announcement. The system has some rules and people play by them and a lot of guys make a lot of money. Bennett signed a contract, and unlike some coaches, who put a clause in to go to another team if that job opens, Marty didn't negotiate a clause to quit (get waived) if Rodgers got hurt. He gamed the system, perhaps in a way that will draw a fine or some sort of reprimand (did his agent lie to clear waivers?). The Packers signed him with expectations of having him for one year. Had he really been hurt, they would have IRed him and paid him, wouldn't they? But he wasn't hurt and he found a slimy way to get out of his contract - basically by threatening to become a locker room cancer.
From your description, there's no reason any player - including Rodgers - shouldn't try this if they want to maneuver themselves onto a team capable of winning a championship.
But you know teams actually sign contracts so they have some certainty about their roster. But 'ol Marty's just doing what teams do, right? wrong.
I wouldn't say there is an equivalency between employer and employee. There is an equivalency between employers which seems to have been the problem in this case.
The employee can find work only if there is an employer willing to hire him (or keep him). There are Free Agents in the NFL, but no Independent Contractors.
Bennett has a torn labrum, I don't think there is any doubt about that. His side said they have tests to prove it and the Packers would have known this if they reviewed his medical file. I suspect they did know because they seem competent and thorough, especially around FAs. Though the torn ACL for the new Browns WR a while back means they can make mistakes. McCarthy said they were talking about surgery dates. Unless you think Mike was taking time to bluff Marty, the coach thinks he has an injury and that means the Doc does too.
Can he play through it? Apparently so.
Is there a risk if you continue to play? McKenzie is very cautious so the risk is probably very low. But risk of a worse injury does exist and the player gets to decide what is worth playing through, not the team. If he does need surgery to fix, then playing for anyone delays the surgery. He might prefer to be healthy for the offseason if he has any doubts about the Packers hanging on to him.
Does this mean that Martellus Bennett is a me first player uninterested in team success over his own career? Probably.
Does this mean Bennett is useless to a successful football team? Apparently not to the Patriots.
Could other football players do this? Of course. This isn't the first time a team and player have disagreed about WHEN to have surgery and if you can play through it. This happens all the time. Its happened with Packers before.
It becomes an issue with very good players because there is demand for their services even if their mental make-up isn't all team first. What is different here than a contract hold out? If the player is good enough, they get away with it.
Did the Patriots and Bennett's rep orchestrate this? Probably.
Being able to find an employer is part of what gives better players more leverage despite the constraints of the standard contract and the CBA. Bennett seems to have been ready to have surgery and end up on IR. The Packers didn't want to encourage players to choose that route so they took their next best option, waive him and challenge his roster bonus.
There is a range of leverage which the teams enjoy, specifically with younger and more marginal players. Those did not apply to Bennett in this case, except for the risk to his unallocated bonus.
If Goode tried this, he probably would be unsigned. I also suspect Goode's path was the fastest way back to the team without carrying him on the roster.