Cowboys Make Unique Change to Pro Bowler’s Contract: Report

Jerry Jones, Ezekiel Elliott

Getty The Dallas Cowboys have restructured Michael Bennett's contract.

The Dallas Cowboys have made a key change to Michael Bennett’s contract.

Before their newest defensive end has even appeared in a game for the Cowboys, Dallas has restructured the veteran defensive end’s contract. The most notable change of Bennett’s original contract is that the last year of his deal has been deleted.

In other words, Bennett will be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 season, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.


Michael Bennett’s Original Contract Details

Bennett was originally due to be paid $7 million in base salary and $1.25 million in bonuses for the 2020 season. Obviously, that year of the contract is now not a factor.

The 33-year-old defensive end had began the season as a member of the New England Patriots, inking a two-year, $16.75 million contract with $4 million in signing bonuses during the offseason. However, the former Pro Bowler’s stay in New England didn’t last too long as he was suspended for one game by the Patriots due to conduct detrimental to the team.

The suspension was allegedly due to a disagreement with a position coach over an issue not even related to football. Needless to say, Bennett never suited up again in a Patriots uniform and he was promptly traded to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2021 seventh-round draft selection.

Bennett is a three-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl champion who has amassed 65.5 sacks during his 11-year NFL career.


Cowboys Expect Michael Bennett to Stand for National Anthem

In other notable Bennett news, the Cowboys are essentially making Bennett stand for the national anthem. During his previous NFL stops, Bennett stayed in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem.

That won’t fly in Dallas.

“We don’t anticipate that being an issue,” Garrett said of Bennett’s history of protest. “We’re just excited to have him here.”

“We anticipate him doing what all of our players do,” Garrett said.

Although the NFL implemented a policy back in 2017 that players had the right to not stand for the national anthem, Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones made it very clear that he expects his players to stand for the national anthem — or risk losing their jobs.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports went into detail regarding the Cowboys’ national anthem policy back in 2018.

“It conjured two questions this week, when Jerry Jones and son Stephen came out and undercut a national anthem rule they helped create barely two months ago. A rule that was supposed to allow NFL players a locker room option if they didn’t feel compelled to engage in “proper” conduct during the national anthem – a lawyer-ish way of banning social justice protests during the ceremonies. The Cowboys voted in favor of that rule in May. Then they backtracked this week, saying Dallas players would all put a toe on the line for the anthem, or simply not be Cowboys.”

Bennett and the Cowboys reportedly mutually agreed on the national anthem stance, so don’t expect this to be much of an issue moving forward.