New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker told the Boston Herald that he regrets his subtle dig at New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, which got him benched for the first series of his team's playoff loss to New York. "Yeah, sure I do," Welker told the Herald at the San Francisco Airport on his way to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu. "I'm not going to get into any details about it, but I don't think it's worth putting coach [Bill Belichick] in that situation," he said. "So in a sense, I do regret it. ... As much as you might want to get enticed into that stuff, at the end of the day, it's just not worth it." During his news conference leading into the Patriots' divisional playoff game against the Jets, Welker made more than 10 references to feet, a not-so-veiled reference to the foot-fetish flap involving Ryan and his wife. Prior to those remarks, Ryan had said he was making the game "personal" against Belichick and defensive back Antonio Cromartie had called Patriots quarterback Tom Brady an "ass----" as the Jets turned up the trash-talk leading up to the game. Belichick benched Welker for the team's first offensive possession of the game as punishment for the zinger, though the receiver did field a punt before New England's offense took the field for the first time. Source: ESPNBoston.com
