Martellus Bennett

Bennett made comments hinting at his retirement during the 2017 season and had been mulling the decision over the past couple months. In nine games last year, split between the Packers and Patriots, the tight end recorded 286 yards on 30 catches. He bounced between the Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Patriots, and Packers over the course of his 10-year career, totaling 4,573 yards and 30 touchdowns on 433 receptions.

Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the move will free up in the neighborhood of $6 million in salary cap space for the team in advance of free agency. Bennett, who turns 31 on March 10, began the 2017 campaign with Green Bay (where he hauled in 24 passes for 233 yards in seven games) before catching six passes in two outings with the Patriots after being claimed on waivers. Shoulder and hamstring issues landed the tight end on IR in late November, but assuming he wants to play in 2018, Bennett figures to draw some interest once he re-proves his health. Moreover, depending on how the Rob Gronkowski situation plays out, it's also possible that Bennett could return to New England on a team-friendly deal.

With Bennett sidelined, fellow tight end Dwayne Allen figures to see added work Sunday, with Jacob Hollister on hand in a reserve role. Neither are viable fantasy lineup options, however, as long as Rob Gronkowski remains healthy enough to log abundant snaps.

There's a decent chance that Bennett's absence Thursday was maintenance-related, as opposed to indicative of an injury setback. That said, we expect the tight end to carry an injury designation, likely questionable, for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.