Super Bowl Champion Michael Bennett Retires from NFL at Age 34

Veteran defensive end Michael Bennett announced Tuesday he's retiring from the NFL. 

Bennett wrote about his decision on Instagram:

"Retiring feels a little like death of self, but I’m looking forward to the rebirth - the opportunity to reimagine my purpose.

"I would like to thank my wife and children, who have sacrificed so much for me to succeed. I’m looking forward to supporting them the same way they have me these past 11 years. I have never been more at peace in my life.

"As the great Toni Morrison said: 'Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.'"

The 34-year-old made 15 appearances for the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots in 2019. He began the year in New England before Dallas acquired him in October. The Cowboys were looking to replace Tyrone Crawford, who had undergone season-ending hip surgery.

Bennett restructured his contract so that he would become a free agent in 2020. He played reasonably well in a limited role during the second half of the season, recording four sacks and 27 combined tackles in nine games with Dallas.

At his peak, the veteran was a feared defender coming off the edge. During his five-year spell with the Seattle Seahawks, he was a three-time Pro Bowler and collected 39 sacks.

Bennett originally signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2009, but he debuted that season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being waived by Seattle in October. He returned to Seattle as a free agent in 2013 and became a key part of one of the best defenses in NFL history.

The Seahawks' Legion of Boom secondary often grabbed most of the headlines, and for good reason. Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas were three of the best players at their respective positions. But Bennett addressed what was a clear weakness for the defense—the team ranked 21st in adjusted sack rate in 2012 before climbing to seventh in 2013, per Football Outsiders.

The former Texas A&M star had two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks during the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII run.

In addition to his work on the field, Bennett was an active participant in efforts to further social causes.

Following the lead of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, he told CNN in August 2017 he was no longer going to stand for the national anthem. Earlier that year, he said he backed out of a planned trip to Israel over concerns about the role of the Israeli government in planning the trip:

Bennett spent 11 total seasons in the NFL, and his 69.5 career sacks are the fourth-most for an undrafted player, per Pro Football Reference.