NFL Rumors: Martellus Bennett, Raiders Have ‘Heavy Mutual Interest’

We know Martellus Bennett will not be catching passes from Tom Brady next season. He could be catching them from Derek Carr instead.

Bennett and the Oakland Raiders have “heavy mutual interest” in one another as the tight end prepares to enter free agency, a source told the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe on Thursday.

After one season in New England, Bennett confirmed Wednesday night he would not re-sign with the team, thanking Patriots fans for their support via Twitter. He played in every game for the Super Bowl LI champions, catching 55 passes for 701 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.

Earlier Wednesday, the Patriots traded for former Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, who likely will replace Bennett as Rob Gronkowski’s backup.

Oakland got little production from its tight ends this past season, with Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera combining for 51 catches, 551 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Bennett on Thursday posted another farewell message to Patriots Nation on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

I appreciate all of the love from #patsnation. When you think of me leaving imagine it happening something like this. #theimaginationagency

A post shared by Martellus Bennett (@martellusb) on Mar 9, 2017 at 8:51am PST