FOXBORO — The Patriots received a gift from cheesehead heaven.
They claimed tight end Martellus Bennett off waivers today to formalize a transaction that made too much sense not to happen. The Packers surprisingly released Bennett on Wednesday, and the Patriots jumped all over a golden opportunity for the reunion. To make room, the Patriots released defensive end Geneo Grissom, who had been a healthy scratch in the previous two games and would likely return to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Bennett played a key role last season during the Patriots’ run to Super Bowl LI, particularly as he played through several injuries down the stretch to stabilize the tight end depth chart in the aftermath of Rob Gronkowski’s back surgery.