Lineman Incognito hints at retirement
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo offensive lineman Richie Incognito said he’s “done” in a text, amid reports he is considering retirement after 11 NFL seasons.
Incognito, who was suspended for half a season in 2013 for bullying a Miami 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 appoint- ment 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 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.”
Incognito also is the subject of an NFL investigation after Jacksonville defensive end Yannick Ngakoue accused the Bills’ lineman of making racist slurs during the Jaguars’ 10-3 win over Buffalo in an AFC wild-card playoff game in January.
The NFL has not announced whether it has completed its investigation. Ngakoue said he and Incognito cleared the air after they were AFC teammates at the Pro Bowl in January.
Incognito began Tuesday with a series of vague tweets, which began with “Good morning, FOOTBALL!” He then tweeted “Yes,” and “Wow,” before posting a note that read: “Big Ben.”
Later, he mentioned the Twitter accounts of the NFLPA and the union’s assistant executive director, George Atallah, in a note that read, “I’m done,” followed by a winking emoji with its tongue stuck out.
Incognito completed his third season with the Bills, who provided him a second chance at continuing his career. He signed with Buffalo in February 2015 after missing 18 months in the aftermath of the Dolphins’ bullying scandal.
was suspended for the final eight games of the 2013 season, when the Dolphins were thrust into the national spotlight after offensive lineman Jonathan Martin abruptly quit the team amid accusations he was being bullied. An NFL investigation determined Incognito and two other Miami offensive linemen persistently harassed Martin.
In February, Martin, a Stanford alum who played for the 49ers in 2014, was detained and questioned by Los Angeles police after posting a threatening note on his Instagram account. Martin’s post showed a shotgun and specifically mentioned Incognito, former teammate Mike Pouncey and a private Los Angeles prep school Martin once attended. Martin wrote suicide and revenge were the only options for a victim of bullying.