It appears Martellus Bennett is retiring from football.
On Friday night, the longtime NFL athlete went to social media to announce he was leaving the sport to pursue “the fantastical and wondrous world of creativity”; however, it’s important to note that he never used the term “retirement.”
“The game of football has been a huge part of my journey but it has never been my final destination. Nor has it been my life’s work,” he wrote on Instagram. “[…] It was fun, scary, exciting, painful, frustrating and I’ve had the joy of being on this rollercoaster a lot longer than most. But it’s time to get off of it and ride another ride at MartyLand as I begin my life’s work of creativity something that I love every single part of.”
Bennett, whose NFL career spans ten years, went on to thank his former teammates and coaches for all the support they’ve shown him over the last decade.
The Green Bay Packers waived the 31-year-old tight end back in November, only eight months after they signed him to a three-year contract. The reason? The team claims Bennett failed to disclose a shoulder injury before inking the deal. Just one day after his release, Bennett was resigned to New England and was immediately placed on injured reserve. He ended up playing only two games with the Patriots before they decided to cut him earlier this month.
If Bennett indeed is leaving the sport, he’ll finish his NFL career with 433 catches for 4,573 yards and 30 touchdowns.
The announcement arrives just hours after Bennett's brother, Michael Bennett, was indicted by a Texas grand jury for allegedly assaulting a 66-year-old paraplegic woman.
