New Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has a torn rotator cuff, but he does not plan to undergo surgery to repair the injury according to general manager John Schneider via Dave Mahler. Schneider said surgery may be an option down the line, but "not in near future."



Last season with the Buccaneers, Bennett managed nine sacks and 41 tackles despite playing with the torn rotator cuff all season, so he is clearly capable of performing at a high level with the injury. The Seahawks signed Bennett to a one-year, $5 million contract this offseason. At 27 and coming off his best season, the one-year deal seemed like a curious choice, but Bennett's injury helps explain the contract.

Bennett joins Cliff Avril, Bruce Irvin, and Chris Clemons as the Seattle defensive ends. With so much firepower at one position, it could explain why Seattle was willing to take a risk on Bennett and see how he performs without any surgery. Clemons will likely miss some time to start the season with a torn ACL, so Bennett is of the most value to Seattle over those first few games. If he plays like he did last year, he could play out the season, but if he struggles, midseason surgery is always a possibility.

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