By now it’s well known that Pro Bowler Michael Bennett’s tenure with the Seattle Seahawks was one that included a rift between him and the organization. The backdrop here was Bennett’s outspoken off-field mentality and reports of him being somewhat of a cancer in the locker room.
Ultimately, Bennett was traded to the defending champion Eagles this past spring for pennies on the dollar. That came after he earned three Pro Bowl trips in five seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
In talking up his current coach, Doug Pederson, it seems that Bennett awkwardly threw some pretty big shade in the direction of Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
#Eagles DE Michael Bennett has strong feelings for Coach Doug Pederson: “You want to win for Doug because he respects you as a man and not a lot of coaches treat you like that in the NFL so you want the guy to keep his job and for him to do that, you have to win.”
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) October 9, 2018
We don’t really need to read between the lines here. The culture in Seattle has been a much talked about narrative since the end of last season.
That took on new meaning after the Seahawks moved on from the likes of Bennett and Richard Sherman while refusing to pay future Hall of Famer Earl Thomas long-term. It led to Thomas publicly disgracing the organization after suffering a season-ending injury back in Week 4.
What exactly is Bennett talking about here? That’s the biggest question.
First off, he’s making it clear that Pederson respects his players as men. Obviously, with what we’ve seen in Seattle, players are viewed more as a commodity within that organization.
How else can we explain away the team deciding to move on from multiple key components on a roster that’s now lacking truly proven talent?
When Bennett focuses on Pederson’s MO being a rarity for NFL coaches, it seems to be a direct shot at Carroll and his mentality in Seattle.
If it were anyone else in a different situation, we wouldn’t read too much into this. But Bennett is a different monster. That’s as clear as day. And it sure looks like he’s taking a shot at Carroll in the process.