FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Martellus Bennett is disputing the reason the Green Bay Packers cited in releasing the tight end this week.

The New England Patriots claimed Bennett on Thursday, a day after he was waived by the Packers. The team cited a “failure to disclose a physical condition” as the reason for the move.

Bennett said in a lengthy post Friday on Instagram that the Packers examined his shoulder when he signed as a free agent in March and cleared him. Bennett says his shoulder got worse during the season and that he asked to have it checked after the 35-31 win on Oct. 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Bennett says he chose to have surgery, but the Packers’ team physician, Pat McKenzie, “didn’t make me feel safe and was pushing to play.” Bennett says he got three other opinions who said that he needed to have the shoulder fixed.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his right collarbone on Oct. 15 against Minnesota, a potential season-ending injury that hurt the Packers’ Super Bowl hopes.

During the bye week after the Oct. 22 loss to New Orleans, Bennett posted a message on Instagram that indicated that he was contemplating retirement.

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Bennett says he went off anti-inflammatory medicine during the bye week and asked to have his shoulder examined his first day back. He took part in the first practice after the bye, but went on the injury report at midweek before the Packers’ loss Monday night to the Detroit Lions. He did not play in the game.

Bennett says the Packers “panicked” thinking that he was trying to go on injured reserve and “be on their books next year. … This was all about money.”

“I chose my health over my ‘team.’ They chose money over me,” Bennett wrote.

Bennett practiced Friday on his first day with his new team as a limited participant. He is listed as questionable for the Patriots’ game Sunday night against Denver.

JETS: Matt Forte has been waiting for the swelling in his surgically repaired right knee to subside.

Instead, it has only gotten worse.

The 31-year-old running back will sit out the Jets’ game at Tampa Bay on Sunday because of his ailing knee. He didn’t practice all week after having a season-high 77 yards rushing against Buffalo last Thursday night.

“I’ve been playing with swelling in my knee for a while,” Forte said. “It just got to a point where it’s getting significantly worse. Obviously, coming from a Sunday game to a Thursday game, there’s less recovery time and it just got worse on me.”

Forte had just 7 yards on four carries in New York’s 25-20 loss to Atlanta on Oct. 29. After the game, he questioned offensive coordinator John Morton for straying from the run-heavy plan.


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