There were reports earlier this offseason that Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett wanted to be traded, but Bennett denied it by saying that they’ll make up rumors about anyone if they’ll make up rumors about Jesus.
Bennett hasn’t been at the team’s voluntary workouts this spring and Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports reported earlier this week that Bennett and his representatives “have made it clear he’d rather not be back in Seattle” for the 2015 season. That flies in the face of what Bennett said in the past, obviously, and what he said during an interview with KING 5 in Seattle on Thursday.
“I think everyone who has a job, they want a raise for whatever they’re doing,” Bennett said. “I’m just like and other American. I think everybody wants to be paid a little bit more so I don’t think I fall short of that. People assume when you ask for a little more money, they assume that you want to be traded or something like that. But that’s not what I’m trying to go for.”
No one’s going to be holding their breath for Seattle to readdress his four-year deal a year after he signed it, which means Bennett is probably going to have to make a choice in the coming weeks about how far to push his quest. Missing mandatory work carries the promise of fines that will leave him with less cash at a time when he wants more of it without much reason to think that he’d be improving his negotiating position.