Patriots release TE Martellus Bennett

The Patriots have released tight end Martellus Bennett.

Bennett, who returned to New England late in 2017 for a second stint with the Patriots after he was cut loose by Green Bay, had six catches in two games with New England late in the year before going on injured reserve.

So what does this mean for the Patriots?



Basically, this move comes as no surprise. Bennett, who will turn 31 later this month, was due a $2 million roster bonus on March 16. That basically created a deadline for whether or not he would play at the $6.2 million cap hit he’d be owed for the 2018 season, a sizable chunk of change for a player at that stage of his career.

Now that the Patriots are off the hook for the $6.2 million, there are three paths at this point for the quotable tight end: one, New England could re-sign him to a far more cap-friendly deal, a possibility if the Patriots are going to be without Rob Gronkowski in 2018. Two, Bennett could try and find a new team as a free agent. And three, the tight end -- who has a wide array of off-field activities, including music and art -- could ultimately call it a career.

In addition to cutting ties with Bennett, the team waived punt returner/wide receiver Bernard Reedy. The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder had two catches for 21 yards and four returns for 32 yards in two games with New England this past season.