Martellus Bennett 'Quit' on Packers, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Says

Green Bay Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix told reporters Thursday he thinks Martellus Bennett "quit" on the team prior to his release, according to Jason Wilde for the Wisconsin State Journal:

"At the end of the day you have to think of it as a business. Me personally? I thought he quit on us. I don't fault him, but I did think he quit on us. He let us down — as a teammate. For a guy that came in, of his caliber, his leadership quote-unquote, I expected more from him. I held him to a higher standard, me personally. But he handled it the way he wanted to handle it."

The Packers waived Bennett with an injury designation Nov. 8, and the tight end reportedly planned to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff.

But in a series of posts on Instagram, which NFL Network's Ian Rapoport relayed, Bennett alleged that Packers team doctor Pat McKenzie attempted to persuade him to play through the injury and delay the operation. 

"

Here is the complete (and edited) transcript of what #Patriots TE Martellus Bennett posted on Instagram about his shoulder and the #Packers, who declined comment pic.twitter.com/WgnwQqcJkG

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 10, 2017"

Bennett was subsequently claimed on waivers by the New England Patriots, and he suited up for the team's 41-16 Week 10 win over the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. 

According to Wilde, a segment of Packers players "believe Bennett quit on them when times got tough without injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers."

"I think it definitely has the power to galvanize a locker room," linebacker Clay Matthews said, per Wilde. "Because it shows you—especially going through difficult times—it shows you who's in and who isn't."

In their first game without Bennett, the Packers rattled off a 23-16 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field to hang in the NFC playoff picture and move to 5-4 on the season. 

Now looking to further solidify themselves as wild-card contenders, the Packers will take aim at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday when the two sides clash at Lambeau Field.