FOXBORO, Mass. — One thing is clear four months into Martellus Bennett’s tenure with the New England Patriots: The tight end is a character.
Bennett, whose Instagram bio lists him as a “Visionary Architect” and “Creative Director of Awesomeness,” had a few creative quips when asked about his short time with the Patriots on Friday after training camp.
The tight end/visionary architect/creative director of awesomeness’ best line came when he was asked what it’s like to have to build chemistry with two quarterbacks — Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I’ve dated two girls at the same time before,” Bennett joked. “That’s the old Martellus, though.”
The line came a minute after saying he feels pressure on the field to provide for his family.
“I always feel pressure to perform,” Bennett said. “It’s a performance-based game. If you don’t perform, then they move on from you. Every single player out here has pressure to perform. It’s our lives on the line. It’s our career. Every single day, you just try to show them what you can do, so you can get a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more. I’ve always had that pressure on myself.
“I don’t play for myself. I play for my family — my wife and my daughter and my teammates. I have pressure on me every single day, because if I don’t play well, it will affect my wife and my daughter. That’s my mentality when I come out on the field.”
That was one of Bennett’s more serious answers. Here are some more imaginative ones:
On where he sees the Patriots’ “edge”
“Everywhere. Even in the cafeteria.”
On Tom Brady’s frustration in practice Friday
“(Brady’s) been competitive even when we’re just working out. It’s fun, because he plays at such a high level that you have to match that level. Oil and vinegar don’t mix. You just want to make sure that you rise to the top when he rises to the top, as well.”
On comparing Brady to other NFL QBs
“Tom, he’s just really good. I always tell them everyday, like, ‘Man, you guys are lucky. You guys have been playing with Tom Brady forever.’ ”
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
