History shows team rarely revamps a contract with three years remaining
PHOENIX — Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett might not want to be traded out of Seattle, as a report last week suggested.
But Bennett does indeed want to renegotiate his contract with the Seahawks, according to a source, who said Bennett’s representatives already have “approached’’ the team about redoing his deal.
Bennett, who is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, signed a four-year, $28.5 million contract in March 2014.
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Seattle general manager John Schneider said Monday that Bennett has not asked to be traded — one report said last week he wants to be dealt to Atlanta.But asked if Bennett has asked the team to trade him or redo his contract, Schneider simply said “he’s never asked to be traded.’’
Schneider left unanswered whether Bennett has asked to have his contract renegotiated.
Asked about the tweet from a reporter from the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram of Bennett wanting to be traded, Schneider said, “It’s my understanding that Michael is very happy in Seattle and loves playing there, so that’s really about all I can say about it. I’m not exactly sure where all that came from.’’
Bennett has not spoken publicly since the report last week.
If the team’s precedent in dealing with renegotiations means anything, then Bennett is unlikely to get a new contract from the Seahawks.
The Seahawks previously have only renegotiated deals they have signed with their players once they are entering the final year of the contract.
That was at the heart of Marshawn Lynch’s holdout before training camp last season as he had two years remaining on his contract at the time. The team ultimately reworked his contract to guarantee an additional $1.5 million for 2014 but without adding any new money.
The team recently redid Lynch’s deal once the 2014 season was completed and he had just one year remaining, signing him to a new contract worth $12 million annually.
Schneider told 710 ESPN Seattle earlier this year that the team waited until after the 2014 season to do a deal with Lynch due to not wanting to set a precedent of redoing contracts with more than a year remaining.
If they did, he said, then “everybody would be standing outside my office looking for a new contract whenever they wanted. ‘’
According to Overthecap,com, Bennett is the 14th-highest paid 4-3 defensive end in terms of annual salary at $7.125 million, tied with teammate Cliff Avril.
After signing his new contract last March, Bennett responded with a standout season, making 39 tackles and seven sacks while playing 84.7 percent of the defensive snaps, up from 57 percent in 2013, and being named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.
Asked late in the season about playing more snaps, Bennett said: “When they pay you a lot of money, they want you on the field all the time. That’s just how it is.’’