Michael Bennett retires, plans to help athletes speak out against injustice

Veteran defensive end Michael Bennett announced his retirement Tuesday after 11 NFL seasons.

Bennett, 34, expressed his desire to spend more time with his family and plans to help athletes speak out against racial injustice. Near the top of his agenda is increasing the number of Black coaches at every level of football.

"Coaches mean a lot in African-American culture," he told Louisa Thomas of The New Yorker. "In the community, a lot of coaches are father figures."

Bennett enjoyed a successful NFL career after going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2009. Following a brief spell with the Seattle Seahawks out of college, he spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before re-signing with the Seahawks - with whom he played his best football - in 2013.

The versatile defender joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 and played for both the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys in his final pro campaign last year.

Bennett notched 69.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles across 156 games, earning three Pro Bowl nods and capturing Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks. He played a major role in Seattle's Legion of Boom defense as a consistent pass-rush presence and top-tier run defender.