It’s an offseason with tough negotiations for the Seattle Seahawks, who have to deal with Michael Bennett not showing up for the OTAs, demanding an improved deal compared to the one he has.
Not that Bennett, entering his third season with the team and overall six years in the league, isn’t paid well. His four year deal with the team (runs through 2017) earns him $28.5 million, making him the 14th highest paid defensive end in the NFL in the 4-3 defense, considering his average salary. Bennett is looking for that 8-figure salary, which would put him in the top eight or seven.
I wanna beĀ somewhere near the top seven at my position, top eight at my position.Ā Not a lot of guys play inside and out (meaning both tackle and end). Not a lot of guys do what I do. So I feel like I should be somewhere near there. Right now we’reĀ trying to get the contract right.Ā Iāll be there shortly. I donāt know when Iāll be there. Depends on the team and stuff. See how it works out.Ā There are only so many guys that do what I do, and I would love to be like somewhere in there where they are at.
Bennett and his agent (Drew Rosenhaus) have had a couple of discussions with the Seahawks about improving his contract, but none since the OTAs began last week, which Bennett has been avoiding so far. Bennett is willing to hold out for a while, all depending on how much the fine is for waiting to get what he thinks he deserves, although he might eventually have to fold.
The Seahawks, on principle, don’t rework deals that have more than one year remaining on them. Bennett, unlike a lot of other players on the team that have gotten extensions and contract upgrades over the last two years, isn’t some low draft pick that has ascended into being one of the best in the league. He did very well for the Buccaneers before signing on as a free agent for the Seahawks, playing a big part in their two Super Bowl runs.
Bennett has played in 32 games for the Seahawks since signing, picking up 15.5 sacks and even scoring one touchdown off of a fumble recovery in 2013. The Seahawks are probably more concerned about working on the Russell Wilson contract, which is the more important one in terms of amount of money and future of the franchise.