Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Michael Bennett Could Hold Out, Wants More Money From Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks rumors now indicate Michael Bennett is expected to miss some voluntary workouts. It seems Bennett wants the Seahawks to renegotiate the contract he signed during the 2014 NFL offseason. The shocking news about Bennett was relayed by the Seattle Times on Monday, April 20, shedding some negative light on his relationship with the organization. The online site for the paper quoted a statement that Bennett made during a radio program earlier in April, talking about whether or not he was happy with his current deal.
“I can’t really say that, but I mean I don’t know anybody that is happy with the amount of money that they’re making. But at this point, I’m just trying to be a good Seahawk.”
The Seattle Seahawks have been busy dealing with the contract of Marshawn Lynch and negotiations on a contract extension with Russell Wilson this offseason. It hasn’t been clear whether the team has talked with Michael Bennett or his agent about what the defensive lineman was hoping to receive. Bennett did say that the two sides had discussed something, but he really didn’t go into details about what was brought up.
It’s not uncommon for veteran players to skip some of the voluntary workouts, and Marshawn Lynch has missed a few in recent years. What this actually means is that, while this might appear to be a negotiating tactic used by Michael Bennett and his agent, he could still end up reporting to the required component of the offseason camps. Bennett is heading into the second year of a four-year $28.5 million contract. He is slated to make $6 million during the 2015 NFL season.
Michael Bennett led the Seahawks in sacks during the 2014 season, racking up seven in the regular season. That followed up the 8.5 sacks he had in 2013 on a one-year, $5 million deal. Bennett has already played six postseason games for the Seahawks, combining for 20 tackles and 1.5 sacks during that time. That includes two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries during the 2013 NFL Playoffs.
Earlier in the offseason, the Seahawks made it a priority to make Marshawn Lynch happy with his contract situation. As reported on the Inquisitr, he is now under team control through the next three NFL seasons, and he received a nice signing bonus worth $7.5 million to remain with the team. While it is unclear whether he will play out the entire deal, the front office in Seattle wanted to make sure he was content in the short-term.
There is a lot of time left in the NFL offseason for the team to work out a new contract with Russell Wilson, and to make sure that Michael Bennett is happy with his current situation. The team doesn’t have a lot of extra money to offer Bennett, though, even if he does decide to stage a hold out as the preseason approaches. The Seattle Seahawks have been declared one of the favorites to make it back to the Super Bowl after acquiring Jimmy Graham, so the team could possibly play hardball with anyone deciding to not show up to practices.
[Image Source: Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images]
