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The Seattle Seahawks will be without one of their best defensive players for the next few weeks. Defensive end Michael Bennett needs knee surgery, according to a report from NFL.com, and will miss 2-3 weeks recovering.

Bennett was injured during the Seahawks' win over the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago when he was cut blocked by left tackle Jake Matthews on a quick pass. Bennett's knee bent awkwardly and he crumbled to the turf before coming off the field. Bennett played the following week against the Arizona Cardinals, but was not as effective as we've come to expect.

The few games he is expected to miss are the first time he will be out of the lineup since signing with Seattle in 2013. Over the three-plus years he has been with the Seahawks, he has been one of the best and most versatile defensive linemen in all of football.

Bennett lines up all over the formation for Seattle, wreaking havoc both on the edge and the interior, in the running game and against the pass. He and Cliff Avril have formed one of the most devastating bookend duos in the league, providing pressure up front for Seattle to complement the Legion of Boom on the back end.

Per the same NFL.com report, it's possible that by the time Bennett returns, he could have signed a contract extension. His current deal is one of the biggest bargains of any player in the league, as he is working on only a four-year, $28.5 million contact.

Over the next three weeks, the Seahawks play the Saints, Bills, and Patriots. They will surely want to get Bennett back on the field for that game against the Patriots (who will be coming of their bye) if they can, considering they will have to get as much pressure on Tom Brady as possible in order to deal with the Pats' passing attack.