Benson: Bears tried to blackmail me

[Sean]

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP)—Cedric Benson believes the Chicago Bears did all they could to prevent him from signing with another team.

Released in June 2008 after two alcohol-related arrests, Benson will come face to face with his former team when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Bears on Sunday. Although he insisted he’s not out for revenge and won’t try to send a message, Benson clearly has some bad feelings for the Bears.

“I heard all the rumors that were said coming out of Chicago,” Benson said. “Even the Bengals told me all the things, that they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things. Just that I didn’t work hard, that I was I guess a prima donna or I didn’t work hard on the field, just wasn’t focused, just anything negative that they could say, it was said. I’m sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away.”

Bears coach Lovie Smith insisted, “He was not blackballed by anyone in our organization.”

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Smith even gave a good review of the running back, although Benson said he was in the minority. He appreciated Smith’s endorsement, but said most of the coaches did not support him. He wasn’t particularly popular with his teammates, either, and he insisted the Bears launched a smear campaign after he was released.

Benson believes that’s why he remained unemployed until the Bengals signed him last October.

Now, he’s one of the league’s leading rushers, quite a turnaround for someone who fizzled in Chicago after being drafted fourth overall in 2005. Instead of taking his place alongside Walter Payton and Gale Sayers, Benson rubbed teammates the wrong way and never fit in with the Bears.

Why?

“Some questions that you all ask are very interesting because I don’t have the answers,” Benson said. “I think there was, once upon a time, where I would like to have known the answer. But now it kind of doesn’t really matter anymore. But I couldn’t pinpoint it. I remember there being a lot of talk about the holdout and things like that, but that’s quite ridiculous in this business because there are holdouts involved. It’s not just football, there’s the business of contracts involved. I’m sure there was once upon a time where many players on that team had a holdout or something along those lines.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...YF?slug=ap-bensonmeetsbears&prov=ap&type=lgns

 

[JeremyHight]

... blackball =/= blackmail.

 

[longhornfan]

I remember when he was complaining that some of his Bear teammates were hitting him low during his rookie year after the long hold out.

Oh well, move on Cedric.

 

[USCChifan]

He played with no heart and passion when he was a Bear. He'd always go down on 1st contact, he didn't catch the ball, lacked explosiveness,he was injury prone, and he was a head case. I'm glad he's gone, though it's great he's doing well w/ another team.

If he still w/ the Bears, he wouldn't be playing this well. I doubt the Bears blackmailed him, he's probably just trying to start something.

 

[RainboUnicorn]

Those things are all true, Cedric.

Yeah. He was pretty bad when he played in Chicago. He looked like he didn't want to be out there.

 

[Bear Pand]

wait it dont make sense THEY releaesed him y would they care if he signs somewhere else....that stupid

Because it makes them look bad. It has to be tough drafting a player that high, having him be a complete failure, then seeing him succeed for another team. It's a poor reflection on the Bears. It makes sense that they'd be angry and give negative reviews to other teams.

A lot of these things Benson brought on himself though. Good to see he got his head in the right place

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Did he want the Bears to lie? If teams inquired about him and they said he was lazy and didnt work hard.. it was probably because it was true. Im happy to see Cedric has finally figured it out, but it doesnt change how dreadful he was a Bear.

 

[stevsta]

amazing how when players get out of chi-town they end up doing better hmmmmmmm........ lol j/k

 

[MRN]

*Waiting for Rex Grossman to blow up in Houston and then claim he was prevented from a 2nd chance*

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Hey Cedric, how about you STFU and enjoy your career year? Then next year, the rest of us can enjoy your return to 600 yards and 2 TD's.

 

[Archer]

Good O-line does wonders for an average RB.

btw, "blackmail"? Really? Someone needs a Webster's....

When did the Bengals get a good o-line?

Benson is running hard for the first time in his career .... amazing what a change of scenery can do for a player

But anyways on topic : He needs to shut up and enjoy the good year he is having

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

When did the Bengals get a good o-line?

Benson is running hard for the first time in his career .... amazing what a change of scenery can do for a player

But anyways on topic : He needs to shut up and enjoy the good year he is having

To me, Benson is one of those interchangable backs,and you could stick about 20-40 guys in his place right now and see similar reults. He does nothing particularly well--he isnt fast, dosent have great cutback ability, isnt particularly overpowering, is not a good pass catcher...

You have about a half dozen truly elite backs, the rest are all products of their environments, good or bad. Plug and play.

 

[Senser81]

Not only was Benson obviously blackmailed, the Bears also used him as the Escape Goat for their post-Super Bowl collapse.

 

[longhornfan]

LOL @ escape goat.