Richie Incognito, the alleged ringleader of a group of players and coaches that bullied Jonathan Martin all the way out of the Miami Dolphins organization, is visiting Buccaneers team representatives in Tampa Bay today, and may soon be getting another shot at an NFL career, USA Today is reporting .
Incognito was let go from the Dolphins in March of this year after his contract with the team expired. He had been suspended for the final eight games of the 2013 season, after Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin, through his agent, provided evidence that Incognito was the driving force behind a “pattern of harassment” that ultimately caused Martin to quit the team (see this Inquisitr article).
Whether Incognito’s behavior was simply locker-room trash talk, or a campaign of verbal harassment, was a matter of intense debate among sports fans and media personalities. Some of the juicier things Incognito was alleged to have said to or about Martin included some of these gems (courtesy of SB Nation ), that Incognito allegedly texted to Martin about his (Martin’s) sister: WARNING: Very graphic language below.
- We are going to run train on your sister. She loves me. I’m going to f**k her without a condom and c** in her c***.
- Hey, Jmart’s sister is in town. Get the plastic sheets ready, she’s a squirter.
- I’m going to bang the sh*t out of her and spit on her and treat her like sh*t.
- Hear your sister has a wolf-p**s. A fat, hairy p***y.
In addition to Incognito, two other Dolphins players linemen, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey, were involved in the harassment. Other Dolphins employees, including other players and a coach, received Incognito’s abuse. As of this post, all of the men involved in the scandal — givers and receivers — except Incognito have found other jobs within the NFL.
According to ESPN , this visit is only a first step, and is not a sign that a contract is imminent. Regardless, at least two Buccaneers players are on the record as saying that they’d be okay with Incognito being on their team. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy told ESPN :
“I don’t care. As long as he can help us win, that’s all I’m concerned about. If there’s a problem, then we’ll deal with it accordingly. But as long as he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing in the building, then I’m not concerned about anything else.”
Do you believe Richie Incognito deserves another shot at the NFL? Let us know what you think in the comments.
[Image courtesy of: Celebrity Net Worth ]