Michael Bennett adjusting to life with the Eagles in a different role | Jeff McLane

Despite Cris Collinsworth's uncorroborated statement that Michael Bennett was unhappy being a backup — one Bennett deflected Thursday — the new Eagles defensive end did acknowledge, during his first public comments in over a month, that he has had to adjust to lining up more on a different side.

"It's like writing with your left hand for 10 years and they tell you to write with your right hand," Bennett said. "It's harder, right?"

Changes were always in store for the 32-year-old edge rusher after the Eagles traded for him in March. He would play significantly less shifting from the Seahawks, where he was on the field 89 percent of the time in 2017, to the Eagles, where defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz employs a heavy rotation.

And Bennett would spend more time on the right, with Brandon Graham and Chris Long already occupying the left, even though most of his previous snaps came on the opposite side.

But now that both have occurred, has accepting a lesser, different role been a test of character?

"It's always a test of character," Bennett said, "when you have to reinvent yourself and do something that you're not comfortable with, or find a way to find some comfort when you are uncomfortable."

For the record, Bennett wasn't griping about his new job — although he never directly denied Collinsworth's comments, which came in the first quarter of the Eagles' season opener on Sept. 6.

"Word is Michael Bennett is none too happy with being a backup," Collinsworth said. "Eight and a half sacks. He brings over three straight Pro Bowls. You can understand."

Bennett had expressed during training camp that his goal was to start. There's nothing controversial about that. The Eagles want competitors. Just last Sunday, Bennett had an altercation with defensive line coach Chris Wilson. But unhappy?

"I can't watch the game when I'm playing, so I don't know," Bennett said when asked to respond to Collinsworth. "I don't know. … I'm just happy to be in a situation where we can just win. I just want to win."

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Coach Doug Pederson said, a week after the Eagles' season-opening win over the Falcons, that he hadn't heard anything about Bennett's frustration.

"He's doing well," he said.

During the Week 2 broadcast of the Buccaneers game, a camera caught Bennett running off the field, holding his hands up in a quizzical manner and exchanging words with Wilson.

When reporters approached Bennett that Tuesday, he told them that he wasn't talking to the media the rest of the season. Schwartz, that same day, was asked about the veteran's playing time.

"We only had 58 or 59 true snaps in this game," Schwartz said. "I mean, it would be great [if] we played 120 snaps and everybody could play 60 snaps on the defensive line, but that wouldn't be good for our defense. I think our guys are unselfish, and you have to look at the production of our group. …

"What I see from Mike is when he goes on the field, he plays hard for us, and I appreciate that."

Through four games, Bennett is fourth among defensive linemen in snaps played (140), behind Fletcher Cox (223), Derek Barnett (167), and Brandon Graham (160). Chris Long (129), Haloti Ngata (117), and Destiny Vaeao (84) round out the top seven. (Barnett has a shoulder injury and will be inactive Sunday against the Vikings.)

Schwartz wants to keep his linemen fresh throughout the game, and for later in the season. The unit has been productive — the Eagles are first in the league against the run and 14^th in sacks per pass attempt — but it hasn't yet been as dominant as it was at times last season.

Bennett's been on the field a little over half (54 percent) the time. In Seattle, he played 84 percent of the snaps over five seasons.

"You always want to play more, but in this situation, you just want to win," Bennett said. "I think when you got a good quarterback and a good running game, you're just trying to win the game."

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The entire defense struggled down the stretch during Sunday's loss at the Titans. During overtime, Bennett got into an confrontation with Wilson after he came to the sideline, according to team sources. They were separated and the episode was brief. Asked about the incident, Bennett referred to his earlier comments about adapting to playing more on the right.

Bennett lined up on the left side — whether it was at end or tackle — 73 percent of the time in pass rush situations with the Seahawks. With the Eagles, he's had a 52-48 left-right split.

"It's an adjustment because I'm used to playing left end, left side, and now I'm playing right side," Bennett said. "So it's getting used to being a right side player after you spend so much time on the left side, and it's going to come and it's going to get to where it needs to get to."

His first sack of the season came Sunday, when he rushed from the left. Cox (3) and Barnett (2-1/2) lead the Eagles in sacks. Bennett is tied with Long with 13 quarterback pressures and hits, behind Cox (25) and ahead of Barnett (8), Graham (5), and Ngata (2).

Of the ends, Bennett rushes the most inside with Cox on expected pass downs. Graham previously filled that role. He's had to adjust this season, as well. Aside from rushing less from inside, he's had 15 percent fewer rushes from the left and is taking about 7 percent fewer snaps overall.

"It does affect me, period," said Graham, who's in a contract year. "But I'm trusting that my preparation, knowing what I'm doing, and at the end of the day, putting my body in the best position possible to be able to adjust to that because it's tough doing something different than you've been doing."

Bennett, meanwhile, didn't sound like an unhappy camper. Asked to explain how his role change has tested his character, the 10-year veteran who has amassed 55 sacks over his career, focused on team aspirations more than individual ones.

"We're 2-2, so the most important thing is not my individual stats or the individual playing time," Bennett said. "It's really about the wins. Obviously, you want to be in a situation where we're in 4-0, or at least 3-1. So for me, it's just about winning. That's the true test of character — how many W's you can get."

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