Martellus Bennett did not have the season he was hoping for. After spending most of the offseason requesting a new contract, he finished with just 439 yards and three touchdowns while ending the year on injured reserve for a rib injury. Bennett publically complained about his role on the team while causing a reported riff between him and the team's front office. Now with the offseason in full swing, Bennett could be headed elsewhere.
According to the Chicago Tribune, there is a real chance that Bennett gets traded this offseason. The Bears will first seek a trade of the tight end before releasing him, understanding the great value he holds in the league. With the tight end market generally weak, the Bears could capitalize by making Bennett available. With one year and $5.08 million remaining on his contract, Bennett is easy to take on.
The tight end did not end his season on a high note as many believed he got on the bad side of general manager Ryan Pace. While speaking with the media, Pace made it clear that he and Bennett have no issues and that everything was fine moving forward with the tight end.
"Martellus, as you guys know, is a versatile player," Pace said, via ESPN.com. "He's very athletic for his size. He's a good blocker, good receiver, and good in the red zone. Unfortunately he got hurt. The first thing is he's got to get healthy, you know? But I think everybody, all of our players are going to try and get better for next year, including him. The first thing is he's got to get healthy and we'll go from there."
The Bears have a decision to make at tight end. The team can either re-sign Zach Miller who did a good job in 2015 or they can keep the unhappy Bennett at his current price. With players like Alshon Jeffery and potentially Matt Forte also needing new contracts, Bennett could be on the outside looking in. The decision of Jeffery is something else lingering over the head of Pace heading into the offseason. The receiver is looking for a high-priced contract similar to what Dez Bryant and Julio Jones signed, but his injuries might not warrant that. With a franchise tag a real possibility, Jeffery wants a contract over the one-year deal.
"Obviously when Alshon played he was explosive and a playmaker for our offense," Pace said, via ESPN.com. "The previous two seasons he'd been healthy and highly productive. He was frustrated by his injuries. We were frustrated by his injuries. We got to get a better grasp of that. Part of the evaluation of a player is his injuries and his availability. We'll take that into account."
The Bears have a lot of decisions to make coming up. With Pace giving Cutler the stamp of approval, figuring out the expiring contracts and determining the place of Bennett will be the big moves before re-tooling the defense in the draft and free agency.