A tight end just hit the market that should draw some interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Martellus Bennett was cut by the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, and is now free to sign with anyone. Now this is a player that is not without some baggage. First and foremost he appears to have a shoulder injury. That injury lead to his release from Green Bay. The Packers are claiming that Bennett hid the injury from them, and they may seek to recoup some of the money already paid out. Depending on the seriousness of his injury, he could be a valuable weapon for any play-off contender in need of a pass-catching tight end. Bennett has also been known as an outspoken, if not disruptive player in the locker room over his career. At age 30, there is also the question of how much he really wants to be in the NFL anymore. Bennett has hinted that 2017 season might be his last.
Given all that, the Steelers would be remiss if they didn’t at least kick the tires on Martellus Bennett. A 6-7 tight end with his kind of receiving ability doesn’t come around very often. As a matter of fact, he may be exactly the type of red-zone threat this team has sorely lacked this season. Pittsburgh has one of the league’s worst red-zone offenses at the halfway point. Bennett could also be the big target Ben Roethlisberger needs down the middle of the field. We saw how well the Roethlisberger-Ladarius Green combo worked in limited action last season.
There are many reasons why this would not work for the Steelers. From injury, to lack of desire, to possible locker room distraction, it would be easy to dismiss the idea. With a team this close to a Super Bowl though, it may be worth the risk. A healthy Martellus Bennett could go a long way in solving one of the team’s biggest weaknesses in the red-zone. That in turn could very well make this team nearly unstoppable on offense. Seems like it would be at least worth exploring for the Steelers.