Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett has been suspended by the club for "conduct detrimental to the team" following a skirmish at practice where the reciever threw cornerback Kyle Fuller to the ground.
The first-round pick attempted to yank the ball from Bennett after making the catch, an action that prompted the tight end to square up to Fuller before tossing him on the floor. The two shook hands later on, after Bears coach Marc Trestman ended practice early to talk to the team about the issue.
"Last night, we made a decision to fine and suspend Martellus Bennett for an undetermined length of time," General manager Phil Emery announced on Tuesday.
"This is a process that we're working with Martellus. We are in contact with him.
"Our goal is to have Martellus back as soon as possible. He's a very loved and respected teammate. We want him back, but it's a process we have to work through."
"Everybody talks about friendships, but really we are all preparing to win a championship," Bennett told press following the incident.
"If we make friends along the way, cool. But I'm just trying to help the Bears win a championship and do the job to the best of my ability."
"It's practice. I know I sound like Allen Iverson right now, but it's practice. [Expletive] happens at practice. You learn from it. That's why it's practice."
Concern was was raised at Bennett's response to the prospect of being fined along with any other sanctions the team could impose.
"I can afford it," he said.
Neither the length of the suspension or the amount of the fine was announced by Emery who told media that "it's a process we're working through."
"He's [Bennett] a very important part of this team and he's a beloved teammate. We look forward to having him back as soon as possible."