"Bench week" refers to a period when a person in a professional job does not have any specific tasks or projects assigned to them, so they are waiting for new work. Full definition
It included a crotch grab that earned Mayfield a brief benching a week later: (sbnation.com)
Eli isn't retired or dead, but the Giants» decision to bench him this week feels like the end of his career in essence. (sbnation.com)
The lead changed hands nine times, there was a late two - point conversion, and Rhett Almond, the guy who hit the winning kick, had just been benched the week prior. (sbnation.com)