Incognito claims he’s ‘done,’ but . . .
BUFFALO — Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito said he’s “done” in a text to The Associated Press amid reports he is considering retirement after 11 NFL seasons.
Incognito, who was suspended for half a season in 2013 for bullying a Dolphins teammate, followed up the text Tuesday with a laughing-face emoji and did not respond to further questions seeking clarification.
The text came shortly after SportsIllustrated.com reported Incognito was “strongly considering retiring,” but would consider returning for one more season at the right price.
The Buffalo News quoted Incognito as saying, “I’m done. That’s it.” Incognito added he is experiencing liver and kidney problems and is being affected by stress.
“I went to a doctor’s appointment the other day and they said, ‘Listen, the stress is killing you, what are you doing?”’ Incognito told The News. “And I said, ‘Listen, I’m just doing what I love and that’s playing football.’ So that’s why I’m done.”
The Bills did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The development comes a week after Incognito fired his agent, David Dunn, in a post on Twitter. That decision came after Incognito accepted a pay cut by restructuring the final year of his contract.
Incognito initially backed his restructured contract by posting a note on Twitter saying he was “thrilled to be returning this season and fired up to get back to work with my Buffalo Bills brothers.”