Michael Bennett’s short-lived run with the New England Patriots is often one of the forgotten moments in history.
The former three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion was traded to the Patriots by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2019 offseason. During the season, the team suspended him for a situation involving a position coach before ultimately trading him to the Dallas Cowboys.
Looking back on everything, Bennett claimed he had a good experience in New England, but he was also honest about his opinion that he didn’t like playing there.
“I just didn’t like it there. I just feel like I didn’t fit into the situation,” Bennett said on the “Games with Names” podcast. “…I just came from a very free-spirited place. …I didn’t like my position coach because he didn’t know nothing about defensive ends or anything like that. And every team I ever been on the defensive line was one of the most important parts of the team.
“In New England, I feel like it was more about the secondary and the linebackers. Overall, my experience with the Patriots was a good experience. Like I said, I just wasn’t used to [the way they did things]. Pete [Carroll] didn’t really bother us about certain things. It was just like, you do your job, come to work.”
Michael Bennett talks about his experience playing for the New England Patriots:@mosesbread72 @Edelman11 pic.twitter.com/f1FjclYH32
— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) November 10, 2024
New England isn’t for everybody, and that was clearly the case for Bennett during his short run with the team. The feeling was mutual as former Patriots coach Bill Belichick sent him packing to Dallas for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.
Less than a year later, Bennett announced his retirement from the NFL.
