The absence of running back Matt Forte from Bears voluntary workouts when they started on April 13 drew some attention, but another offensive starter’s decision to be elsewhere the last two weeks has gone relatively unnoticed.
Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com reports that tight end Martellus Bennett has not taken part in workouts with his teammates yet this offseason. There’s no word on any specific reason why Bennett has opted out of the work and no sign that there’s any discontent as he was reportedly at Halas Hall one day last week even though he wasn’t taking part in conditioning work.
Bennett is due nearly $10 million over the 2015 and 2016 seasons as part of a contract he signed before the 2013 season. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, Martellus’s brother, has also been absent from this phase of offseason work.
Because they changed coaches, the Bears have a three-day minicamp for veterans in Chicago this week. The work is also voluntary with the only mandatory work before training camp coming during the June minicamp.