IRVING — During his first four seasons in the NFL, Martellus Bennett played in 60 games for the Cowboys, starting 31 of them.
But the 6-6, 265-pound tight end never met expectations and he was never going to be one of the team's primary pass-catchers because Jason Witten, a seven-time Pro Bowl tight end, was already on the roster.
Bennett, 25, signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants in March and his receiving statistics are on pace to be the best of his career. Through seven games, Bennett has 25 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns. His best season with the Cowboys was his first, catching 20 passes for 283 yards and four scores.
On Thursday, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett talked about Bennett, who will make his return to Cowboys Stadium on Sunday.
"I think Martellus has a chance to be a really, really good football player," Garrett said. "The role he was in here was more as a blocker, just because Jason Witten was our primary tight end, caught so many balls for us, and has done so many great things for us over the course of his Pro Bowl career.
"But we used a lot of 12 personnel, meaning two tight ends, two receivers and one back, maybe … more than anybody in the league. And Martellus was a big reason for that. He did an outstanding job as a blocker for us both in the run game and in the passing game. When he had opportunities, for the most part, he made plays. There was some times where he didn't make the plays, but we had confidence in him to throw him the football. For the most part, he did a good job when he got the chances."
