Seahawks' Bennett: 'I probably won't be back next year'

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett believes his time with the club may have come to an end.

The Seahawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011 after losing 26-24 to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and Bennett thinks he'll be phased out over the winter.

"I probably won't be back next year," Bennett said to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune.

"Just seems like it's a young man's game. I can see them going younger, with younger players. That's part of the game."

Bennett recorded 39 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 15 games this season while playing through injuries.

The veteran defensive lineman expects he won't be the only key Seahawks member finding a new team for 2018.

“I expect there to be a lot of changes,” Bennett said. “Especially when you lose, there’s always changes. ... Like I said, it’s a young man’s game. We lost a lot of players, and we’ve seen some of those great players, when those young people got in the game they had to be prepared. So I could see trying to get those guys going and seeing what happens.

“With me, I’m fine. I mean, whatever happens, I’ve loved being a Seahawk. ... You love the organization. You love the players that you played with. We’ve won a lot of games. So if I am not here, I would never have any hard feelings toward the organization. I love Pete Carroll and (general manager) John Schneider, and we just move forward. It’s part of football.

"This is just part of sports. It just keep growing and you continuously play for another organization, if you have the opportunity."

The Seahawks routinely have been in the running for the Super Bowl for the past five years, but 2017 marked the first year their core showed signs of decline, with the exceptions of Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, and Doug Baldwin. Bennett may be onto something with his thinking, and the Seahawks will be one of the more compelling teams to monitor during the offseason.