Tag: Martellus Bennett

Martellus Bennett accused the Bears of shamelessly selling 1985 nostalgia in candid rant

Martellus Bennett thinks the Bears are happy “selling the past” to their fans. He’s absolutely right.

Martellus Bennett might have been a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end in his NFL heyday, but he’s likely most known for telling it like it is. He’s a man who is never afraid to speak the truth and say what’s on his mind out in the open. That’s why his latest (kind of random?) rant about the Chicago Bears hits particularly close to home.

On Sunday, the Bears might have endured easily the most embarrassing loss of the Matt Eberflus era. Despite a game that they controlled for roughly 57 minutes over the rival Detroit Lions — where they held a 12-point lead with just about three minutes remaining — the Bears lost. Through nine NFC North games, the meat and potatoes of any bog standard NFL schedule, Eberflus’ iteration of the league’s charter franchise remains winless in its division. (Note: The Bears have not won a division game since Thanksgiving 2021, a.k.a. almost two full calendar years.)

It seems this Bears defeat lit a fire under Bennett, who played three seasons in Chicago from 2013 to 2015. He took to Twitter to accuse Bears leadership — namely, owner George McCaskey and any oaf lackey he pays to tell him “yes” — of brazenly selling nostalgia to the Chicago fanbase for years. (Note: The “try-hard-on-defense and hustle” Eberflus is McCaskey’s fourth head-coaching hire since 2013. They are on track to fire him and hire a fifth in January 2024.) Rather than play a brand of modern football that is conducive to winning in the 21st century, Bennett said the Bears are content with mass-marketing a bygone era of when they were great and were the NFL’s gold standard because that would interfere with what they perceive as the organization’s tough guy “brand.”

I highly urge you to read every piece of this rant, of which I will share a few key excerpts. (Note: There are some NSFW language elements.) Indeed, Bennett told not one lie about a franchise that used to own the NFL’s throne every year but is now content with so much less.

Yes, yes, YES.

As a Chicago native, I can’t tell you how often former 1985 Bears are paraded around local media. This is something that I suspect the Bears as an organization appreciate. They seem to believe that a good defense and running game (and nothing else) is how a football team should be built (because that’s what they can sell) despite never having a 4,000-yard passer. And I have no doubt they adore seeing someone like the legendary Dan Hampton pontificate on the late local news any chance he gets.

I’ve heard Bears coaches criticize their own players on live television so much of late. And that’s just in 2023. There’s something to be said about blaming a lack of execution. That’s fine. That happens. But when that lack of execution happens every week, that’s more on the coaching failing to get its message across than anything. But the next Bears coach to express a modicum of self-awareness will be the first in a long time.

These tweets probably speak to me the most from this rant. The idea of the Bears winning with tough defense and a solid running game is essentially a meme among the younger members of the fanbase (like myself). It’s something we joke that only our fathers could genuinely appreciate. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that the Bears love selling this brand of football to older people because they think they’re not comfortable getting with the times of a team with a legitimate personality and a vertical passing offense. The Bears don’t want to alienate these fans at the risk of losing the foundational support they provide … that they’ve already lost. Go figure.

And I agree with Bennett. I’d venture to guess that the Chicago Cubs or Chicago Blackhawks are demonstrably more popular with the city’s youth than the always-bumbling Bears. How could you possibly build up loyalty and admiration in a fanbase if all you do is lose in the most uninteresting fashion every week? News flash: kids need positive memories to love their sports teams. Crazy, I know! The modern Bears, as constructed, usually provide none.

So, here the Bears are, at another franchise crossroads.

They will very likely finish in last place in the NFC North for the second straight season. It will be their seventh losing campaign since 2014. They have not won a postseason game since January 2011. And try as Justin Fields might; they are still searching for that mythical franchise quarterback. McCaskey could, of course, elect to blow it up and find a new head coach and general manager to steer the Bears back in the right direction. Heck, he probably will.

But there’s the rub. As Bennett professes, the people who run the Bears have a different idea of the “right direction.” I personally can’t wait until they hire another conservative-minded goober who loves running the ball, playing disciplined defense, and ignoring the most important position in the sport. Paying attention to and helping the quarterback does not align with the Bears’ brand of being overzealous bullies (who never win anything). It never will.

It is that archaic mindset which will inevitably only bring them more failure.

Mike Tannenbaum believes Giants should make a move for Jimmy Garoppolo

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum thinks the New York Giants could or should make a move for QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

The New York Giants appear set at quarterback with Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Davis Webb, but there seem to be growing calls for them to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo.

Late last week, former Giants quarterback David Carr brought up the topic and suggested it’s “very possible” the Giants aim to acquire Jimmy G from the San Francisco 49ers. However, he cautioned that such a decision should not come until the team is able to confirm Garoppolo’s health.

“I initially thought Brian [Daboll] would make a move for Mitchell Trubisky when he was available because you don’t necessarily know what you have in Daniel Jones,” Carr said. “Now with Jimmy, I think the issue is his shoulder. No one really knows. I think what teams are going to do is wait until the first or second preseason game — if Jimmy gets in for San Francisco — and just kind of see. Like, does he look healthy? And then I think that’s when you might see the Giants make a move.

“Jimmy G can win some games for somebody. He absolutely still can play at a high level — he won a lot of games in San Francisco. I think the only issue is just his health. If he’s healthy, then very possibly the Giants can make a move.”

Carr’s comments sparked an interesting debate but was ultimately dismissed by most of Giants Nation. After all, the team has precious little cap space available and no desire to trade much-needed draft assets as they continue their latest rebuild. But as it turns out, Carr isn’t alone in his thinking.

Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who co-founded The 33rd Team, also believes the Giants should make a move for Garoppolo. In fact, he made the suggestion prior to Carr.

The Giants strike me as another team that could, or should, pursue Garoppolo. The team did not pick up current starter Daniel Jones’ fifth-year option, and he is set to hit the open market next March. Bringing in Garoppolo would make sense in a way because they do not seem to have a contingency plan. And as such the mid-round conditional pick cost for Garoppolo might be worthwhile.

The Giants have a variety of receiving weapons and one of the most talented running backs in the league. They also recently added Kayvon Thibodeaux to a young and budding defense. Garoppolo may fit their competitive timeline more comfortably as the Giants wade through a weak NFC East. If the Giants feel that bringing in a veteran bridge quarterback such as Garoppolo to shepherd a future draft pick into his starting role is worthwhile, they may try to pounce at the opportunity to acquire Garoppolo a year early.

Bill Barnwell also previously looked at a potential Giants-49ers trade involving Garoppolo, so this does have some legs in the media world. But if you were to ask one of Jimmy G’s former teammates, they might suggest the Giants stay away from him.

“We lost two games [in 2016],” Martellus Bennett told TMZ Sports of that season with the Patriots. “One of them is because Jimmy Garoppolo was being a [expletive]. He quit before us on the last — decided not to play right before the game.

“So, we went out there, Jacoby [Brissett] came out and played with a [expletive]-up thumb. Played his heart out. But, Jimmy was just being a [expletive] about it all. . . You can’t win with a [expletive] for a quarterback.”

Something tells me this isn’t the last we’ll hear about the Giants and how they should trade for Garoppolo.

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Ex-Giant Martellus Bennett offers harsh take on 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo

Former New York Giants TE Martellus Bennett recently offered a very critical take on San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

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Former New York Giants tight end Martellus Bennett has never been one to pull his punches.

Bennett, who played one season in New York (2012), last played in the NFL in 2017 for the New England Patriots and recently made some stinging comments about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who the Pats leaned on when Tom Brady was suspended over ‘Deflategate’ at the beginning of the 2016 season.

“We lost two games,” Bennett said as per TMZ Sports. “One of them is because Jimmy Garoppolo was being a [expletive]. He quit before us on the last — decided not to play right before the game.

“So, we went out there, Jacoby [Brissett] came out and played with a [expletive]-up thumb. Played his heart out. But, Jimmy was just being a [expletive] about it all.”

Bennett added, “And he’s still being — like, that’s why, you can’t win with a [expletive] for a quarterback.”

Garoppolo, of course, was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 and has since shown that he can lead a team successfully. As the starter in San Francisco, he has a 31-14 record in the regular season and a 4-2 record in the postseason, including a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.

As a Giant, Bennett — who called himself “The Black Unicorn” — had a decent year in 2012, catching 55 passes for 626 yards and five scores. Two seasons later, he was sent to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Chicago Bears.

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Julian Edelman agrees with Martellus Bennett’s harsh take on Jimmy Garoppolo

Martellus Bennett wasn’t happy with Jimmy Garoppolo in 2016, and Julian Edelman clearly wasn’t either.

The New England Patriots had an odd start to the 2016 season.

Tom Brady was suspended four games following Deflategate and it left room for Jimmy Garoppolo to showcase his talent. The Patriots were high on Garoppolo and many people believed he would be the one to replace Brady — who was appearing to be near the end of his career.

Garoppolo had a solid start in the first two games, but he injured his shoulder in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins. Jacoby Brissett came in Week 3 and played extremely well, but he ended up injured with a torn ligaments in his thumb. Garoppolo was set to start the final game in Week 4, but backed out last second and left it up to Brissett against the Buffalo Bills.

“Bro, we lost two games (without Brady),” Bennett said, via NBC Sports Boston. “One of them was because Jimmy Garoppolo was being a (expletive). He quit before, decided not to play right before the game. Jacoby (Brissett) came out and played with a (expletive)-up thumb and played his heart out, but Jimmy was just being a (expletive) about it all.”

Julian Edelman joined the I AM ATHLETE podcast and backed up Bennett’s stance — with much less vulgarity.

“I mean, I don’t know we’re all football players here,” Edelman said about Garoppolo’s injury, transcribed by NESN. “So we go into Week 4 and Jimmy was practicing and then decided not to play. Jacoby played with no ligaments in his thumb, which you can’t do that as a quarterback.

“A lot of guys got mad at it. I’m not going to lie, I got mad about it,” Edelman continued. “I sacrificed my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that, ribs, broken ribs, shoulders, Grade 3 hanging on by limbs just to play. I can understand why Marty (Bennett) thinks like that.”

In hindsight, this could’ve played a role in Garoppolo being traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Brady led the Patriots to a 14-2 record that season and a Super Bowl victory.

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Martellus Bennett slams Carson Palmer’s suggestion Dak Prescott should take discounted deal

“This is stupid.”

Former NFL quarterback Carson Palmer seems to have stirred up controversy with his opinion on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract negotiations. Former New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett expressed his strong disagreement with Palmer’s take.

Prescott has pushed Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones for a contract that would pay him (rightfully) as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. But while playing on the franchise tag in 2020, Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury. It’s exactly the kind of injury that players are afraid of suffering when they’re negotiating a long-term deal.

Palmer, however, doesn’t think Prescott should push for top dollar.

“I love Dak’s game. I think he’s great. I think he shouldn’t shoot for the moon (on his next contract),” Palmer said on Shan and RJ. “Being the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, there’s a lot that comes with that financially. So, you don’t have to be the top-paid quarterback in the league. You can make as much as the top-paid quarterback in the league when you’re the Dallas Cowboys quarterback if you do take less.”

Bennett took issue with this thought process. He told Prescott not to “leave a penny on the table.”

Palmer noted that Cowboys stars have graduated from the NFL to profitable positions in the media.

“You got Troy Aikman (Fox analyst), Jason Witten (former Monday Night Football analyst) and Tony Romo (CBS analyst) all on nationally televised games. Partially, because of their playing careers, but a majority of that is because they played for the Dallas Cowboys,” Palmer said. “They are a household name. You’ve seen Dak on tons of commercials and endorsements. You can make that same top-tier money if you’re Dak and you take a little bit less, and you keep all the players around you within the salary cap structure.”

Of course, Jones owns one of the most profitable franchises in the NFL. The value of his franchise is absolutely insane (roughly $5.7 billion), with the NFL instituting a salary cap that’s the same for the Cowboys as it is for a franchise that’s worth far less like the Bengals ($2 billion). If anything, Jones should have to pay his players more to play in Dallas. Even if playing for the Cowboys might open up other avenues of earnings, that doesn’t mean Dallas should ask players to take less than they deserve in a professional where they make significant physical sacrifices.

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Ed Reed discusses Martellus Bennett’s tweets that address dark side of football

SportsPulse: Mackenzie Salmon spoke with hall of famer Ed Reed to discuss Martellus Bennett’s recent tweets which focus on the unspoken, dark side of playing professional football.

SportsPulse: Mackenzie Salmon spoke with hall of famer Ed Reed to discuss Martellus Bennett’s recent tweets which focus on the unspoken, dark side of playing professional football.

Martellus Bennett reveals the harsh realities of football in a brutally honest Twitter thread

So powerful.

We’ve reached the deafening climax of the NFL season, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play in Super Bowl 55 on Sunday in Tampa Bay.

It’s all a bit more subdued this year, seeing as it all takes place in the midst of a pandemic. There won’t be a packed stadium. There won’t be — well, shouldn’t be, at least — lavish parties and blaring concerts to add to the reverie leading up to the game.

It’s still going to be a spectacle, of course. This is the NFL at its most NFL. Yes, there’s a sport being played, but having arrived here, at the final game of the year, there’s somehow even more money to be churned. So it will.

Into this fray stepped former Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Patriots and Packers tight end Martellus Bennett. In a 24-tweet thread sent late Tuesday night, the one-time Super Bowl champion (he caught five passes for 62 yards in Super Bowl LI, or as you probably know it the 28-3 game, to help the Patriots beat the Falcons) shared some of his reflections on how football shapes the men who play it — and how it can impact them for the rest of their lives.

Bennett has previously spoken out against fans dehumanizing players and was a powerful voice in discussions of race in sports last year.

Warning: There’s foul language ahead.

Hold up.

Did you expect Jon Kitna to show up here?

Or Tom Hanks?

Yeah, me neither.

Bennett goes on to discuss the difficulty of finding a path in retirement. We know, from anecdotal stories that reach the public, that many NFL players struggle with mental and physical health issues that they attribute to the game — and that many of them have trouble finding or keeping work as a result of it.

Eventually Bennett steps back and considers the larger question of where football fits and whether the inherent damage it causes is worth it.

Bennett lasted 10 seasons in the NFL, and made nearly $34 million. His brother Michael — who is also outspoken about, well, whatever is on his mind — also had an extended career. He’s seen the sport from many angles.

Martellus points out that he’s not just lathering criticism on the game:

Though these are the thoughts of one particular player, I know they resonate with many who’ve left football and subsequently felt lost. Yes, the NFL has programs in place to try to prepare players for the shock of retirement, and we often hear about former players who ultimately do find success.

But as Bennett points out here, we largely lack the framework for helping athletes navigate the transition because of the unique physical and mental demands of playing football.

We’re lucky that Bennett found the time and clarity to put his struggle into words and help us try to understand.

Martellus Bennett admitted he didn’t even realize the Patriots won Super Bowl LI

He had to ask Tom Brady to make sure.

Tight end Martellus Bennett didn’t know the rules of overtime as the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons went past regulation in Super Bowl LI. No Super Bowl had ever gone to overtime.

And while viewers got graphics from the broadcast to explain that, if a team scored a touchdown, the game was over, Bennett was not privy to that explanation. So when Patriots running back James White dove into the end zone for a touchdown and the Patriots stormed the field, Bennett had to ask Tom Brady: Did we win? Here how Bennett remembers it.

“I was like water and all my teammates were like water. Basically, it was just like so focused and enter a space of flow that I’ve never experienced in sports before,” Bennett told B/R in an interview with Master Tes. “In fact, when we won, I had to ask Tom Brady. I said, ‘Yo, Tom. Did we win?’ He was like, ‘Yeah. We’re champions.’ I said, ‘Oh, (expletive). We champions!’ I don’t know the (expletive) overtime rules in the Super Bowl. (Expletive), they changed it.

“I’m telling you, bro. I was in flow. Like, I don’t know what the score is, right? I had no idea. Like, that was really my only time of like really snapping out of flow ’cause I’m looking around and guys are running around. We’re all crying and I don’t know why I’m crying. My brother comes down and I think I was extra emotional. ‘We’re Super Bowl champions, the Bennett brothers. Like, who the (expletive) can say that (expletive)?’”

In Bennett’s defense, the Patriots’ comeback was record-setting. They were trailing 28-3, and no team had overcome a deficit that large in the Super Bowl. It was a dizzying experience for everyone involved.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIlag6eAne0/

 

Only Marty.

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How did the Giants fare in the offseasons following their Super Bowl titles?

ESPN recently ranked the best offseasons for all Super Bowl champions of the salary cap era, so where did the New York Giants check in?

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last season and followed it up with an impressive offseason. So impressive, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano, that he ranked it the best in the NFL since the salary cap was instituted in 1994.

The New York Giants won two Super Bowls since then and their subsequent offseasons after those wins weren’t too bad. Graziano ranked them 14th and 15 out of 27.

No. 14: 2011 New York Giants

In February of 2012, the Giants were coming off another upset victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and had designs on repeating, but fell back to Earth instead. General manager Jerry Reese may have had his worst offseason in 2012 with a lackluster and fruitless draft and marginal free agent additions.

Their free-agent losses were all guys who were about done anyway, including Brandon Jacobs, Mario Manningham and Aaron Ross. And they managed to sign tight end Martellus Bennett on the cheap for one season before his career really took off. The Giants’ draft was an 0-for-7 disaster, though, and this was a roster that needed more work than its stewards thought. The 2012 Giants managed the same regular-season record (9-7) as the 2011 team did, but this time it wasn’t good enough to get them into the playoffs.

No. 15: 2007 New York Giants

The Giants shocked the world by beating the undefeated Patriots in February of 2008 and then took the NFL by storm that fall. The only team could stand in the Giants’ way was, unfortunately, the Giants.

Their season was usurped by the Plaxico Buress shooting incident, and even though they earned the top seed in the NFC, they exited the playoff immediately with a soft showing against Philadelphia.

Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan retired following the Giants’ Super Bowl upset of the unbeaten Patriots. Edge rusher Osi Umenyiora suffered a season-ending injury during the offseason. The team traded tight end Jeremy Shockey, who was in the coaches’ doghouse anyway, to the Saints and lost Reggie Torbor, Kawika Mitchell, William Joseph and Gibril Wilson in free agency. The positives included a draft that brought in Kenny Phillips, Terrell Thomas and Mario Manningham. And the 2008 Giants posted the best record of any Tom Coughlin Giants team ever at 12-4 before losing to the division-rival Eagles in the playoffs.

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Former Patriots speak in depth about the light-hearted, fun side of Bill Belichick

“Coach is absolutely fantastic – every year during the holidays, he sends us gifts and baskets and really nice chocolates.”

Bill Belichick is infamously known for his monotone voice and harsh demeanor. He’s not the most friendly of coaches when it comes to time with the media and he doesn’t necessarily wear his emotions on his sleeve.

There’s a side to him that the public doesn’t always see and it’s refreshing to know he’s human also. Belichick grew up with a military mentality and it has led to six Super Bowl wins as a head coach and more success than any other coach in NFL history.

NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran released a new podcast episode titled, ‘The Bill Belichick You Don’t Know’ on Thursday. It features a slew of former Patriots and their own respective stories about Belichick.

These stories were transcribed by Boston.com’s Deyscha Smith.

Rodney Harrison:

“Coach is absolutely fantastic – every year during the holidays, he sends us gifts and baskets and really nice chocolates. He’s an easy-going guy; conversations are always light; he doesn’t really take himself too serious, as much as other people think that he’s this really serious guy; he’s caring; he’s just an open relaxed guy. I got a great relationship with him.”

Charlie Weiss:

“He’s actually very very funny, that would shock the people of New England. He’s got a good sense of humor. It’s just that that’s not him the football coach. That’s him the person, and he’s always been able to divide church and state. I mean this is the same guy that’s close friends with Bon Jovi, he’s the same guy that me and him were at a charity event for my charity and we’re singing background to ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive.’  So, I mean it’s the same guy — there’s him the football coach and there’s him when he’s not the football coach.

“I think that in the world we live in unfortunately, with cell phones and everyone videoing everything you do, you really got to be on your guard to live a more quiet, anonymous type of lifestyle when you’re away from football.”

Rob Ninkovich:

“I think it was 2009, it was my first year there and you have a general idea of Bill as a young guy coming onto the team. There’s a little bit of fear of, ‘You don’t want to get him angry or do you anything [because] you could get cut easily,’ he’s got the power to do all.

The year we played Tennessee … I’m walking out after the game, walking to my truck and all of a sudden, a snowball comes flying in, and I’m like, ‘Who the heck is throwing snowballs?’ And it was Bill throwing snowballs at guys. It was just kind of funny, Bill Belichick throwing snowballs at people. I’m sure he was super pumped because we had won by a lot and it was snowing.

It was just kind of a fun moment where you were like, ‘He’s not so bad…he’s not so bad.’ I threw a snowball back — but it was one of those moments where it was like, make sure you don’t hit him.”

Martellus Bennett:

“For me, Bill [and I] are very cool. It was different, we had a very talkative relationship, I talked to him about a lot of things. There were moments when I was going through something and I needed some advice, and Bill is a guy that I would turn [to] and ask what he thought.

“Bill is a really great, straightforward guy, and that’s what I like about him the most. And he’s really funny. [He’s like] Larry David, like “Curb Your Enthusiasm”…that’s how Bill is. You can’t really explain the humor, you have to be in the room when it happens.”

Matt Cassell:

“I remember one time we’re sitting in the meeting room, and he was critiquing Asante Samuel and he said, ‘Okay!’ That’s it Asante, hit him with a pillow. Let’s throw marshmallows at him sometime.’ There’s that sarcastic, funny humor that a lot of people are scared to death to even smile during those meetings because you’re like, ‘I could be the next one up on that film study.’

“Sometimes you’ll even see him crack a grin after he says something like that.”

Shane Vereen:

“He has such a dry sense of humor and it’s hilarious, he’ll compare plays to funny situations that have nothing to do with football.

“Before we go on long breaks, before we go for summer vacation or after season, he likes to pull up news reports of other NFL players who made poor decisions in the offseason, just a little reminder [and] bug in our ear of what we should not be doing.

“He would go over the reports and he’d have us guess as to what time of the day these things happened, what do [we] think these guys are in the news for, and then he’ll always leave us with, ‘Stay off the [blank], bottom line. Stay off the ticker, the ESPN ticker, that bottom line that goes across your screen.’”

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