right for the next game." And dont count on him getting ca

RENTON, Wash. -- Michael Bennett gambled last off-season that playing on a one-year deal in Seattle would pay off in the future with the long-term contract he always wanted. He was proven to be correct. Bennett now has a Super Bowl title and a new four-year contract that will keep him with the Seahawks. "I dont know if there was any doubt, but there was a lot of speculation a lot of teams tried to get me to come there," Bennett said Monday after signing his new deal. "But ultimately I wanted to come back and play with these guys and win some more games." Bennett was considered one of the top free agents in the NFL after a breakout season with the Seahawks where he led the team in sacks and proved a versatile option as a defensive end and defensive tackle. But he never made it all the way to the start of free agency Tuesday after the Seahawks came up with a satisfactory deal. Terms were not announced by the team. Pro Football Talk reported Bennetts deal was worth about $28.5 million with $16 guaranteed. Bennett said there were other teams offering more money, but the guaranteed amount was most important. Bennett was thought to have been strongly pursued by Chicago, where he had a chance of joining his brother, Martellus, with the Bears. But he ultimately decided to return to Seattle. "Yeah there was more, but I wanted to be here man. There are a lot of young guys here, and there are a lot of winning ways and I just love the organization and the things that they are about. I love the staff, from the equipment staff to the medical staff; it just goes on and on." Lost in the speculation about Bennetts future was his history with Seattle and specifically defensive co-ordinator Dan Quinn. The Seahawks signed Bennett as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2009 and gave him a spot on their roster for the start of that season when Quinn was his defensive line coach. Even though he was eventually waived and claimed by Tampa Bay, that initial relationship with Seattle remained strong. Its partly why Bennett jumped at the chance to return last off-season with Quinn as the new defensive co-ordinator, even if it meant playing on a one-year deal that paid only $3 million in base salary. Its also a factor in why hes staying now. "At the end of the day, it was about being comfortable and being in a good situation," Bennett said. "Sometimes going to a whole other organization doesnt work out the way it worked out for me coming here and being with these guys. A lot of times people take a lot of money and they go to places and theyre not what they turned out to be. I know what this place is. Im familiar with the staff and players and it makes a big deal to be here." Seattle seemed to understand what it would take to retain Bennett. The Seahawks parted with defensive end Red Bryant and wide receiver Sidney Rice to create additional salary cap space. Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have been steadfast that their top priorities in free agency were retaining their own players and not making big splashes by signing others. Bennett was at the top of the list with wide receiver Golden Tate not far behind. Bennett had 8 1/2 sacks in the regular season and a fumble return for a touchdown. His numbers would have likely been higher had the Seahawks figured out earlier in the season how best to utilize their defensive line rotation. Bennett had even more impact in the playoffs. He had a forced fumble and recovery that gave Seattle an early lead in the NFC divisional playoff win over New Orleans, and added one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the NFC championship game against San Francisco. "We had hopes he would be a real contributor and he exceeded our expectations and were excited to keep him," Carroll told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. "Hes got great energy, a terrific motor and hes a very versatile football player. We really need to play him more. He didnt play a lot of plays the first half of the season, we specialty played him, and then we played him more as the year went on. We got better and he helped us. Were excited about it." Jace Sternberger Packers Jersey . Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wanted to stay in Chicago and the Blackhawks wanted to keep the high-scoring forwards in the only NHL uniform they have ever known. Rashan Gary Youth Jersey . Scott scored a career-high 30 points, Jeff Teague added 28 and the Hawks rallied to beat the New York Knicks 107-98 on Saturday night. "We were down Paul, down so many bodies," Scott said. http://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Jaire-Alexander-Jersey/ . Huntington doesnt want to help run the club unless Hurdle is in the dugout. The combination thats returned the franchise to respectability will remain intact for years to come. Mike Daniels Womens Jersey . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday. Dexter Williams Womens Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Champ Bailey finally gets a chance to live up to his name. The 12-time Pro Bowler is headed to his first Super Bowl in his 15th -- and most trying -- NFL season, one in which he missed 11 games and parts of two others because of a nagging foot injury. "It hurt not being out there," Bailey said after Denver topped New England in the AFC championship game, "but here I am. Im on the field and my teams still in the running. Thats what its all about." Baileys subdued celebration and measured reaction in delirious Denver stood in stark contrast to the scene in Seattle later Sunday night, where Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman stole the spotlight with his game-saving deflection, his taunting of Michael Crabtree and his television rant on the field afterward. The two contrasting styles will draw much attention in the days leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. Sherman is the 25-year-old trash-talking leader of the leagues best defence, Bailey the 35-year-old sage of a unit thats been through the ringer this season, but has come on strong over the past month despite injuries that cost them several starters, including Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. Bailey is one of the leagues top cornerbacks, but hes clearly on the downslope of his spectacular career that includes the most Pro Bowls by a defensive back in NFL history. Bailey was greeted in the locker room by former teammate John Lynch, who was with him the previous time hed come this close to the Super Bowl -- 2,919 days earlier. One week after sealing a playoff win with a 100-yard interception return to hand Tom Brady his first playoff loss back in 2006, Bailey had another interception in his grasp and the end zone in his sights, but Hines Ward somehow came down with the football instead and Pittsburgh went on to beat Denver 34-17 for the AFC title following the 2005 season. "I said hed play really big and I think quietly he really did," Lynch said. "Its been a tough year. Everyone thinks hes old, over the hill, but hes been a great player throughout his whole career and great players, when it matters most, play great." Bailey had no spectacular plays this time, no pick-6s or takeaways or forced fumbles or sacks, just his usual steady play and calming leadership. He was hardly tested bby Brady at all and finished with three tackles.dddddddddddd "I thought yesterday was his best performance of the season," coach John Fox said Monday. Peyton Manning, who knows a little bit about overcoming injuries and long odds to reach the Super Bowl, said he was "certainly happy for Champ, I know a lot of people are." "Theres a guy -- lets see, Champs one year younger than me so hes in his 15th season -- like I said, its hard to get to the Super Bowl. Its hard to win it, but Im telling you its hard to get there," Manning said. "... Im glad that hes back out there on the field. Hes battled through some injuries and has stayed at it and been committed to his rehab." Bailey started just three games this season, and he finished just one of those, against Jacksonville on Oct. 13. After aggravating his foot injury in his two other starts, he was relegated to slot duty by the time he finally got healthy in mid-December. That changed when Harris got hurt in the Broncos playoff win over San Diego and Bailey started Sunday opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, then moved into the slot on passing downs to thwart the heart of the Patriots offence. "I knew Id be back at some point," Bailey said. "My coaches, teammates, they never gave up on me. They knew Id be back to 100 per cent at some point. Here I am, Im playing probably my best football of the year -- because I havent played much. Im just looking forward to the next one, making sure my body is right for the next game." And dont count on him getting caught up in the comparisons at the Super Bowl between him and Sherman, who represents this new breed of cornerback, the bigger, athletic DBs who trash talk as well as any of the receivers they cover. About the only trash-talking that came out of Baileys mouth Sunday was when he was asked about how the Broncos shut down the Patriots ground game. The Broncos held LeGarrette Blount to 6 yards on five carries a week after scoring four TDs against Indianapolis. "Well," Bailey said matter-of-factly, "they didnt play the Broncos last week." Notes: Fox said RB Knowshon Moreno is day to day after X-rays on his ribs were negative and CB Tony Carter has a pinched nerve but no concussion. ... The Broncos return to work Thursday. ' ' '