It appears that the Buffalo Bills may be losing another offensive lineman this offseason as Richie Incognito appears to be set on retiring.
Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito has come out today and reported that he is “done.” The 34-year-old from the University of Nebraska noted on Twitter that he would be returning to the Buffalo line in March. But since then, things have changed.
Numerous reports have come out today under the suspicion that Incognito’s time in the NFL is up. In a phone interview with Buffalo News, Incognito was quoted in saying “I’m done, I’m done, that’s it,” along with “It’s been a long career. My liver and kidneys are shutting down. Nothing I can’t restore with some balance, but the stress is killing me.”
There is no argument that being an offensive NFL lineman is a stressful and painful job but it is the Twitter content that raises the most eyebrows. Vic Carucci shared some things Incognito told him regarding his contract.
.@68INCOGNITO on his pay cut: "It pisses me the f off. The contract and all that pissed me the f off and all that, but (retiring) has nothing to do with that." On whether there was a chance he'd change his mind: "Absolutely not." More to come.
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) April 10, 2018
Carucci followed that up with some confirmation of the decision.
.@68INCOGNITO told me he has informed the #Bills that he is retiring. He said he spoke with team owner Terry Pegula, along with GM Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott.
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) April 10, 2018
Whether it is the liver and kidneys shutting down or the pay cut from his contract, it looks like we have seen the last of Richie Incognito.
Some fans may be confused as to why Incognito said he was coming back, only to reverse that decision rather quickly. The easy answer is that he didn’t realize how unhealthy he was. Citing the pay cut makes some sense, even if Incognito says it isn’t a factor in his decision, but he would still make more by playing rather than retiring.
This likely comes down to health, and mirrors the decision made by Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns. Fans watch linemen play year in and year out, without realizing the physical toll that weighs on these players who have been taking a beating from defenders since their teenage years.