FOXBOROUGH, Mass. _ They looked so happy together.
Nearly 40 minutes after Tuesday's joint Bears-Patriots practice ended behind Gillette Stadium, tight end Martellus Bennett continued to lounge around, a picture of pure relaxation.
First, he lay in the north end zone beside a bottle of Gatorade and bucket of popcorn, enjoying quality time with his wife, Siggi, and 2-year-old daughter, Jett. He dragged Jett around the field for a few minutes on a big red pad. And before retiring to the locker room, Bennett entertained a short visit from his former coach, John Fox.
Twice the duo engaged in half-hugs and, from a distance, what appeared to be humorous small talk. And that was that.
Sure looked like the good ol' times, right? What bad blood?
It would have been interesting to hear Bennett wax poetic about the two days he has spent practicing against his former team, the one that traded him in March because, in part, he didn't fit the profile of a John Fox grinder.
Known for his charisma and oration skills, Bennett would have something colorful to say, right?
Maybe he would clarify the digs he took at quarterback Jay Cutler in a magazine piece this summer and the lack of team cohesion he said he had experienced at Halas Hall. Or maybe he'd talk about the multiple skirmishes he has been involved in this week.
The 29-year-old tight end had been notified of an overflow of requests for him to speak to the media. But on Tuesday, yet again, he opted not to talk.
As more than five-dozen reporters waited him out, Bennett sauntered off the field, down a ramp and out of sight, declining to stop.
Maybe Wednesday he'll talk. Maybe Thursday.
Maybe never.
Besides, as Fox insists, the Bennett-Bears divorce was hardly unique in a league full of awkward separations.
"In this business, people change cities," Fox said. "Coaches do it, players do it. It's part of this business. So there is no ill will. ... Sometimes it doesn't work out.
"There's a business side. There's a football side. There's a bunch of things that happen over the course of a football career, so I still wish Martellus nothing but the best."
Still, it's hard to recall many episodes where a Pro Bowl-caliber starter is left home from his team's Thanksgiving night rivalry trip, as happened with Bennett in November. Or many instances where the player who stayed back from such a trip opted not to watch the game, then played only one more week before being put on injured reserve and later traded.
If all was truly hunky-dory and the past was simply the past, then why was Bennett, for a second straight day, engaged in mini-scuffles with his former team at practice.
On Tuesday, during 11-on-11 work, Bennett emerged from the bottom of a pileup with his helmet off. Outside linebacker Lamarr Houston was coming after him. Both players were yelling and gesturing in animated fashion, a shred of evidence that tension still exists.
And Cutler? He hasn't pushed for any kind of chummy reunion. When he was asked after practice Monday whether he had had a chance to connect with his oh-so-candid former tight end, Cutler couldn't quell his sarcasm.
"No. I missed that opportunity," he cracked. "Maybe tomorrow."
Not surprisingly, Cutler missed the opportunity again Tuesday. Even money says he'll be 0-for-3 after practice Wednesday.
That's not to say Bennett is detested across the Bears organization. That's not the case. But there has always been lingering doubt about where his top priorities lie and whether he truly can blend into a team-first environment without worrying about personal glory or future paydays.
The Patriots are pushing to solve that Bennett riddle now, in a contract year, immersing the outspoken tight end in a culture bigger than he is, one built on banners more than bravado. Is this an environment in which Bennett can truly thrive?
Bill Belichick, to this point, believes Bennett has been a good addition, a talented tight end with highlight-level pass-catching skills, rugged run-blocking ability and intelligence.
Belichick also asserted that Bennett and his mercurial personality _ often energetic, constantly creative, frequently moody _ won't get special treatment, that the Patriots have the same expectations for every player.
Said Belichick: "Know what to do, do it with the proper technique, play hard at all times, put the team first."
This reunion with the Bears, after all, will be brief. For both sides, it's better off that way.
