FOXBOROUGH -- Free agent tight end Martellus Bennett, whose career reached its peak when he won a Super Bowl championship with the New England Patriots in the 2016 season, announced his retirement on Friday night.
Bennett played for the Dallas Cowboys (2008-2011), New York Giants (2012), Chicago Bears (2013-2015), Patriots (2016, 2017), and Green Bay Packers (2017), accumulating 433 receptions for 4,573 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also delivered great moments, as part of his big personality.
"I have decided to leave the world of American football and move to the fantastic and wonderful world of creativity," Bennett wrote. "I am starting what I believe is the work of my life."
Bennett indicated that his time in New England was among the most rewarding, as he formed a powerful combination of tight ends with Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots ended up winning Super Bowl LI. When Gronkowski was sidelined by a back injury that ended his season in the second half of 2016, Bennett became the number one option at the position (totaling 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season).
When the Patriots won the AFC Championship Game at home, the sight of Bennett smiling as he danced on the field with pom-poms in his hands while Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" played was one of the unforgettable moments.
Bennett, who entered the NFL as a second-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys out of Texas A&M, was also no stranger to controversies. Last year, the Green Bay Packers cut him with a designation of non-disclosure of a health issue. Green Bay had cut him with the intention of placing him on the injured reserve list due to a shoulder problem, however, the Patriots claimed him and he played two games before landing on the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury. Green Bay, which had signed Bennett to a three-year, $21 million deal, attempted to recoup his signing bonus but was denied by an independent arbitrator, although the team planned to appeal.
During his time with the Chicago Bears, Bennett openly questioned the leadership of quarterback Jay Cutler.
Bennett was a free agent after the Patriots cut him on March 7, a move that was expected due to clearing $6 million in salary cap space.