RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said Saturday that he never seriously considered holding out of training camp.
"Nope. I just wanted to show up and be a great teammate," he said. "No distractions for the team. I just want to be a Seahawk for the rest of my life. That's the most important thing.
"I just want to get back to Houston, Texas and play in the Super Bowl in my home town and play against my brother [Martellus Bennett]. That's all I think about, so here to make that happen."
Bennett, 30, is unhappy with his current contract that has two years remaining on it. But he participated fully in Saturday's practice and interacted with fans and teammates throughout the afternoon.
Asked what he thinks he deserves, Bennett said, "I think I deserve to be paid in the position that I play. I play four positions for the team. I do whatever I can to help the team win. So hopefully everything works out and you get compensated the way that you play and it'll be good."
ESPN's Josina Anderson reported that Bennett wants to be paid in the range of the top six or seven defensive linemen in the NFL. That would put him at about $14 million per season.
On his current deal, Bennett is scheduled to make a base salary of $4 million this season and $6 million next season.
In 2015, Bennett had a Pro Bowl year, posting 10 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
Bennett was unhappy with his deal last summer but showed up to camp and played all 16 games. It appears that his plan this year is to do the same.
"You want to exemplify everything there is in a great player and a great teammate," Bennett said. "You want the team to compensate for whatever you do. But you've just got to stay true to who you are, and everything will work itself out."
