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- Mar 20, 2019
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Michael Bennett returned from his one-week, team-imposed suspension with an uncertain future.
The Patriots defensive lineman met with the media Wednesday and was asked whether he was happy in Foxboro.
“It is what it is,” Bennett answered, via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald.
The trade deadline is Tuesday, so the Patriots have less than a week to decide whether to seek something in return. If they cut him, it likely would come after Tuesday, forcing him to go through the waiver wire before becoming a free agent.
Bennett was asked if he has requested a trade.
“That’s up to them; that’s up to the team or how they feel about it,” Bennett said. “I like playing here. That’s all I’m saying.”
Bennett lost a week’s salary, $176,471, after “philosophical differences” with defensive line coach Bret Bielema. Bennett said his disagreement with Bielema was about “life.”
“I didn’t take away nothing. I got suspended and lost money,” Bennett said. “What are you supposed to take away from that? There’s no love lost. That’s just how it is.”
Bennett, who is in his first year with the Patriots, has seen his playing time decrease every week. He got a season-low 11 snaps in his last game, a Week Six victory over the Giants. He has played 130 snaps in six games and has 2.5 sacks and four quarterback hits.
“There’s always an adjustment when you’re not playing,” Bennett said. “You get used to it, but we’re winning. That’s the most important thing as a teammate. But as an individual, you always want to play more and make some more plays. There’s always a great balance between both.”
Bennett, 33, is on his third team in three years. He does not seem to be fitting in with the “Patriot Way.”
“You can’t really bite your tongue,” Bennett said. “Everybody else in the league says how they feel, so say how you feel and move on from it. We’re all human. We all go through our situations. You have conversations and move on from it. That’s how I feel about it.”