Former Buffalo Bills starters will be on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ with Oakland Raiders

Two former Buffalo Bills starters, Richie Incognito, and Nathan Peterman will be on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” featuring the Oakland Raiders.

If you, a Buffalo Bills fan, need a reason to watch this year’s edition of HBO’s  “Hard Knocks” featuring the Oakland Raiders — other than the Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock, Antonio Brown, Vontaze Burfict, and Derek Carr factors — you’ll be happy to know two former Bills will be on the show.

Both quarterback Nathan Peterman and guard Richie Incognito find themselves on the Raiders’ roster and will soon enter the limelight that is brought with “Hard Knocks.” As two of the most polarizing figures in recent Bills memory, neither are particularly new to piquing the interest of the public eye;  not in a good way.

As a rookie in 2017, Peterman abruptly took Tyrod Taylor‘s starting job midway through the season and proceeded to blow it in every aspect of the phrase. In his first game as a starter, he threw five interceptions in one half. He surprisingly entered 2018 as the starter over Josh Allen and then lost that job quickly, as he was benched in the second half during the first week of the season.

After losing the starting gig to Allen, Peterman played three more games for the Bills, throwing five interceptions (including a game-losing pick-six) to just one touchdown. He was released mid-season, then signed with the Raiders. He is now competing with Mike Glennon for the backup job to Derek Carr.

Incognito’s on-field play with the Bills was about as different from Peterman you can get. He provided the team with consistent offensive line play, starting 48 games in three Pro-Bowl seasons. After announcing his retirement (and taking it back), because he refused to play with the Bills, on Twitter, and publicly firing his agent, Incognito retired in the 2018 off-season.

To everyone’s surprise (kind of), Incognito’s retirement didn’t last long, as he signed with the Raiders after the 2019 NFL Draft. Just another chapter in an already headache-inducing career that includes off-field issues such as:

• (2013) Harassing his teammate, Jonathan Martin, on the Miami Dolphins, allegedly involving the use of racial slurs, slandering, threats, and fear-based ultimatums. The case went public while Incognito was released and suspended for a year.
• (2018) Placement in the involuntary psychiatric hold in Florida due to allegedly throwing a dumbbell at another gym goer at a local Life Time Fitness.
• (2018) Arrested in Arizona for threatening to shoot a funeral home employee while trying to arrange his father’s funeral. Police found six guns, including three rifles, in his car. He told Police that he wanted to cut his fathers head off for research purposes.

Incognito’s drama can’t be summed up in just a few sentences. Throughout his career, he’s been noted as a dirty player and a danger to both himself and others. Before for the NFL, he was kicked off of two college teams. But his history is no longer the Bills’ problem.

If you’re interested to see what both Peterman and Incognito do next, “Hard Knocks” will premier on August 6th on HBO. Considering that this year’s edition appears to be full of drama, two former Bills shouldn’t be the only selling point to reel you or me in, but it helps.