The New England Patriots have suspended defensive lineman Michael Bennett for one game, according to Jordan Schultz of ESPN.
Bennett had this to say regarding his ban:
“On Friday, I had a philosophical disagreement with my position coach that has led to my suspension,” said Bennett. “I apologize to my teammates for any distraction this may have caused.”
Bennett has voiced displeasure with his decreasing role on the Patriots' defense, as he played just 11 defensive snaps in last Thursday's win over the New York Giants.
The veteran's playing time has dipped each week, as he has gone from playing in 55 percent of New England's defensive snaps in Week 1 to just 22 percent of them in Week 6.
During the time he has played, Bennett has logged just five tackles and 2.5 sacks.
The Pats acquired Bennett in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason, a move that was seen as a means of replacing fellow defensive lineman Trey Flowers, who departed via free agency.
Bennett raved about Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization throughout the offseason, and Belichick lauded Bennett for his professionalism during the early stages of the regular season as Bennett's playing time continued to dip.
But now, things have obviously taken a turn for the worse, but Bennett was, at least, apologetic.
The 33-year-old is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he registered 34 tackles and nine sacks. Prior to his one-year stint with the Eagles, Bennett had split the first nine years of his career between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, making three straight Pro Bowl appearances in Seattle between 2015 and 2017.
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