Martellus Bennett 'Never Felt at Home' During NFL Career

Martellus Bennett played for five different teams during his 10-year NFL career, so it's no wonder that he always felt like an outsider no matter where he went.

The former tight end discussed the problem on the Dave Dameshek Football Program podcast (via Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com):

"I never felt at home at any of the places that I played, honestly. I looked at myself as a consultant. So my job was to go into wherever this place was that needed a tight end and I would consult at the tight end position until they found another tight end better than me or my consultation was over, then I had to go consult somewhere else."

Bennett announced his retirement from the NFL in March.

The 31-year-old spent the first four years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys after the team took him in the second round of the 2008 draft. However, this was his longest stretch with any team, as he moved on to stints with the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.

His time with the Packers was especially contentious, as he was released after just seven games last season.

"I did think he quit on us," safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said of Bennett, per Jason Wilde of the State Journal. "He let us down—as a teammate."

Although not every situation was similar—he was a key part of the Patriots' run to a Super Bowl title in 2016—it's clear he never truly fit in with any organization.

Bennett also explained that playing in the NFL is "not full-time employment" for a specific team, but instead only filling a role for as long as needed. With the number of players changing teams in trades and free agency, this doesn't seem far from the truth.