FOXBORO, Mass. — Michael Bennett no longer feels like the new guy in the New England Patriots’ locker room.
Speaking four days before the Patriots’ regular-season opener, the veteran defensive end explained how his comfort level has steadily increased since he joined New England via trade in March.
“I think transition is always hard,” Bennett said Wednesday. “I think any time you transition in life, everything is new. The facility is new, the route that you drive to work is new, the teammates are new, everybody in the building.
“Finding a way to be comfortable with all that change is always hard, and I think I’ve done a great job of being able to build relationships with my teammates, relationships with everyone in the building and building their trust. I think that’s the most important thing that I can do as a teammate, and I think I’ve done a great job of that.
“So now, being in this room, it feels normal now. At first, it felt different, but now it just feels normal — being able to talk to Danny (Shelton), hang out with LG (Lawrence Guy), getting to know (Dont’a) Hightower and everybody. It’s just good.”
Bennett, who skipped voluntary spring practice and was excused from the three days of training camp this summer, has become accustomed to transition in recent years.
A defensive stalwart for the Seattle Seahawks during their “Legion of Boom” heyday — which included a loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX — the 33-year-old now is on his third team in three seasons. He spent the 2018 campaign in Philadelphia, racking up nine sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits for an Eagles team that lost in the divisional round.
“It’s good now that I’m here, because I like everybody,” Bennett said. “Tom (Brady) is cool. The whole team is cool, so it’s good. It’s euphoric to walk in this building every single day and see the standard, the level of play, the expectations every single day at practice. It’s always good to be here, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continuously build my career while I’m here.”
Bennett’s Patriots tenure will begin in earnest this weekend when the Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.”
“I’m as excited as I could be,” he said. “I think the opportunity to play on Sunday night is always fun, and getting a chance to go out there in front of the fans is going to be even more fun.”
