Since winning the Super Bowl, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett’s attention has turned toward his impending free agency.
Bennett has said that he would like to return to the Seahawks, who he joined on a one-year, $5 million deal last offseason. He’s also made it clear that such a contract won’t cut it this time around as he tries and that he wants “to be compensated with the top guys.” It’s little surprise, then, that Bennett is also passing on the notion of giving Seattle a hometown discount.
“There is no such thing as discount. This is not Costco, this is not Walmart -- this is real life,” Bennett said on NFL Network, via the Seattle Times. “There is no discount really because you go out there and you don’t give a discount on effort; you go out there and you give the best effort every day and you fight for your teammates, and you want to be compensated for the way that you perform and the kind of teammate you are.”
After a year playing out a restricted free agent tender in Tampa and settling for a one-year deal last year, it’s understandable that Bennett is prioritizing his desire to get paid over his desire to remain in Seattle. The market will have its say, but that approach certainly makes a new home a likelier outcome.