If Michael Bennett is holding a grudge against Bill Belichick and the Patriots, he's doing a great job of hiding it.
Bennett's tenure in New England was shortlived as he was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys before the trade deadline. The 34-year-old saw a decrease in playing time under Bill Belichick and was suspended for one game by the team after having a "philosophical disagreement" with a coach.
But even after a less-than-ideal stint with the Patriots, Bennett has nothing but praise for the organization ahead of Sunday's Pats-Cowboys matchup. He spoke highly of Belichick, calling his former head coach a "savant."
“I learned a lot of football in New England,” Bennett said Wednesday, per ProFootballTalk. “As a player, you go into the situation, and you think you know football. Then, you meet somebody who’s above you and knows everything about the game.
"For me, I learned a lot about football in that situation, learning how to execute at a high level, learning what it takes to develop players. I learned what it feels like to break down a game plan from a different perspective, and I think it was good for me as a player. If I ever want to be a coach, it would be a good situation to take into that.”
While some may consider Sunday a "revenge game" for Bennett, he isn't heading into the Week 12 showdown with that mindset.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
“It’s never personal in the NFL,” Bennett said. “It’s always business.”
Bennett has three sacks, seven quarterback hits, and eight tackles in three games with Dallas. He'll look to add on to that total Sunday at Gillette Stadium with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.