Michael Bennett Praises Bill Belichick Despite Short and Contentious Tenure With Patriots

Once he was acquired by the New England Patriots this past offseason, the sky was the limit for defensive end Michael Bennett. But things never panned out, leading to his request for a trade.

Even after a short stint, Bennett had nothing but good things to say about head coach Bill Belichick, whom he called "a savant."

“I learned a lot of football in New England,” Bennett said Wednesday, via Pro Football Talk. “As a player, you go into the situation, and you think you know football. Then, you meet somebody who’s above you and knows everything about the game. For me, I learned a lot about football in that situation, learning how to execute at a high level, learning what it takes to develop players. I learned what it feels like to break down a game plan from a different perspective, and I think it was good for me as a player. If I ever want to be a coach, it would be a good situation to take into that.”

There were high expectations for Bennett in New England, especially with a defensive genius in Belichick to work with him and capitalize on his strengths. That never happened.

Bennett played just six games and recorded four tackles and 2.5 sacks. But more staggering is that Bennett played only 130 snaps, solidifying himself as a rotational defensive lineman on the Patriots.

The former Super Bowl champion requested a trade and ended up on the Dallas Cowboys, and he's thrived ever since. In three games, Bennett posted eight tackles, four sacks, and seven quarterback hits with Dallas.

While Bennett stresses his matchup against New England this Sunday isn't "personal," we have to think he'd love to show the Pats what they're missing out on.