Bennett: Story about Seahawks' divided locker room is 'trash'

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has come out in defense of his team after a story Thursday highlighted the purported fractured state of the Seahawks' locker room.

The story focuses on the strained relationship between the offense and the defense, in particular, Richard Sherman's problems with head coach Pete Carroll and the entire franchise's perceived favoritism toward Russell Wilson.

Bennett called the story "trash" and "gossip" in a tweet Thursday morning.

The story gives an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the Seahawks' drama over the past few seasons, from Sherman's heated exchange with offensive lineman Germain Ifedi about a desk during a team meeting, to the defensive players' resentment over Carroll refusing to hold Wilson and the offense to the standard set by the other side of the ball.

Sherman's sideline outbursts made headlines during the 2016 season, with the star cornerback openly criticizing Carroll. Sherman was also the subject of rampant trade speculation during the offseason, which both he and the Seahawks openly admitted - a rarity in the NFL.

"He's always looking at what other people are doing," a former assistant coach who has had many talks with Sherman told ESPN's Seth Wickersham. "He's made it personal. It's your fault we're not winning. It wears guys thin."

Bennett defended Wilson in a second tweet, calling him a "great teammate" and an "even better human." The story painted Wilson as a divisive figure, with teammates apparently privately eager to see him "exposed."