Injuries continue to hit the Chicago Bears. The team cannot seem to catch a break as their offensive stars continue to land on the injury list or be ruled out for the season. It started with Kevin White undergoing what might be season-ending surgery before the year even began. It was then highlighted by the injuries to Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte. Now Martellus Bennett is hit as the tight end's season is officially over.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Bennett has been placed on injured reserve following a rib injury suffered in Week 11. He attempted to play in Week 13 and either aggravated the injury or suffered a new one that has put him out for the season. This is a hit to the offense for the bears as Bennett had 439 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Those numbers are not close to what he did in 2014, but they were what Chicago needed and now they must hope that Zach Miller and the newly signed Rob Housler can step up.
The issue for Bennett is what this injury does to his future. The tight end started the year on a bad note when he was demanding a new contract and held out of OTAs. He then was very outspoken about his displeasure with his role in the team's new offense as the tight end was doing more blocking than scoring. Beennett has another year remaining on his deal with a base salary of $5.085 million.
Bennett holds a lot of value in the league. A number of teams would love to get the tight end on their roster in the coming season knowing what he can really. The Bears on the other hand have a number of decisions to make regarding contracts and getting the tight end off the books might be a priority. The team must attempt to re-sign Alshon Jeffery to what will be an expensive deal. Matt Forte wants to return. Backup tight end Zach Miller also needs a new deal. Miller has been good in spurts this season with 228 yards and four touchdowns on the season. If the Bears feel he can replace Bennett then the tight end is gone.
The Chicago Sun Times reports the Bears would rather trade the tight end instead of taking a $1.125 million hit in dead money by releasing him. The Bears could easily get a nice draft pick in return for him. Given the drama he has created with his contract and his role on the team, the injury is just another knock that might make Bennett expendable.
