Martellus Bennett is one of the luckier tight ends in the NFL. In a league where it quickly gets ugly at quarterback after the top-tier, Bennett has gone from catching Tom Brady's passes to landing on his feet with Aaron Rodgers at the helm after signing with Green Bay this offseason.
Bennett said Friday on NFL Total Access switching from one future Hall of Fame quarterback to another wasn't "by chance. That was strategic." After accumulating 701 yards and seven touchdowns on 55 receptions in New England to go along with a Super Bowl ring, Bennett has set the bar high on the numbers he can produce.
In the early stages of developing a rapport with Rodgers, the tight end has already noticed some differences between working with the two signal-callers.
"With playing with Tom, it was a lot of coaching -- like little things," Bennett said. "Like the way he wanted you to get your head around quicker because he wants to get the ball out of his hands a little bit faster. So usually if I'm running a deep over route and I'm catching it 17 yards on the number on the other side, with Tom, he might throw it in between the 'backers. So if there's a little opening, he's ready to let it go right there. Just trying to see the game how he sees the game.
"And with Aaron, his ball is a little bit different. He's a little more athletic, and he can whip things a little bit different, you know. So he doesn't have to set his feet all the way to throw the ball 80 yards or anything like that. But me and him, it's all the same thing. Like, my body language is totally different for him."
Bennett already has high praise for his new quarterback, ranking Rodgers as the best one he's ever played with. Brady was second, with Jay Cutler (third!), Eli Manning and Tony Romo rounding out the pack. Despite the No. 2 ranking, Bennett shelled out effusive praise for No. 12.
"Tom is arguably the greatest to ever play the game. A great teacher, a great teammate, great person," Bennett said. "But I just learned a lot about football just from him. He taught me so much more. I'm a way better player this year than last year after leaving the Patriots. I thought I grew as a player a lot just learning how to play and being in a role."
We'll be interested in seeing how the Packers take advantage of Bennett's newfound football acumen to turn him into Rodgers' latest dynamic weapon.
