Former Patriots tight end auctions off 28-3 Super Bowl ring
Hunt Auctions announced last week that former New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett made the rare decision to auction off his coveted Super Bowl LI ring for $88,125.
Bennett was a key piece of the Patriots’ Super Bowl-winning team in the 2016 season. He assumed the role of No. 1 tight end in New England after Rob Gronkowski suffered a season-ending back injury.
He was a solid replacement for Gronkowski and made his presence felt all the way to the end of the Super Bowl. After New England made their historic comeback from down 28-3 against the Atlanta Falcons, Bennett very nearly completed the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime. He registered five catches on six targets for 62 yards in the game.
This is not the first time a player has sold their Super Bowl ring, nor is he the first person in the Patriots organization to do so. Robert Kraft auctioned off his Super Bowl LI ring for $1.025 million in 2020, and donated the funds to charity to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, whenever a championship ring goes up for sale, it always lends people to wonder why.
In this case, the reasoning for the sale is unknown — Bennett made almost $34 million in his career. Regardless, the sale of the ring should not diminish the production Bennett provided for the 2016 Patriots, and the impact he had on Super Bowl LI. Ring or no ring, Bennett was an effective player in New England and helped the team earn its fifth Super Bowl win.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore communications student at Northeastern University. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
