Rob Gronkowski wants Martellus Bennett to get paid
“I’m hoping he breaks the bank."
Rob Gronkowski says he would like fellow Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett to be duly rewarded for his 2016 season — no matter where he ends up next season. And he’s putting those hopes in no qualified terms.
“I’m hoping he breaks the bank,” Gronkowski told the Texas-based Star-Telegram.
The Patriots tight end was in Florida on Sunday for the Daytona 500. And while he didn’t say if he wanted Bennett to re-sign with the Patriots, Gronkowski did say he thought it would be “good for the industry” and “the position” for his fellow tight end to get a robust, new contract.
Bennett is currently weighing his options in free agency, amid reports that the Patriots are unwilling to pay him more than the $9 million annual sum that Gronkowski makes. Bennett, who made just over $5 million last season, recently dismissed suggestions he should take a pay cut after his standout fill-in season for the Patriots.
According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Bennett’s departure from the Super Bowl-winning Patriots this offseason — following a year in which he led the oft-sidelined Gronkowski in receptions, yards, and touchdowns — is “a real possibility.”
“I want to see him do whatever he’s got to do, but I don’t make the calls,” Gronkowski told the Star-Telegram before Sunday’s race, adding that he has “absolutely nothing to do with the front office” decisions regarding Bennett’s free agency.
