Former Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito was taken into custody Wednesday and sent for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation, after an incident at a Florida fitness center. The episode marks the latest turbulent moment this offseason for the 34-year-old guard, who was released Monday from Buffalo’s reserve/retired list.
Incognito was not arrested, but authorities invoked the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows for people to be held against their will for mental-health treatment if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. A spokesperson for the Boca Raton gym told the Palm Beach Post that police were called to remove Incognito from the premises, saying that he “will not be welcomed back” and adding, “For us, it’s a matter of making sure we are creating a safe and respectful environment for our club.”
TMZ Sports cited “multiple sources” in reporting that Incognito “threw a dumbbell” at another gym user, after first hurling a tennis ball and “screaming at the man to ‘get off my f—ing playground.’ ” That account has not been confirmed by other media entities, and Boca Raton police did not offer details of the disturbance.
Incognito is best known to many fans for his role in a 2013 bullying episode involving a then-teammate with the Dolphins, Jonathan Martin. In the wake of a report that detailed his harassment of Martin, which included racist remarks, Incognito spent a year and a half out of the NFL before the Bills signed him for the 2015 season.
Incognito had been accused of racist behavior before, as well as of “dirty” play on the field, and it happened again in Buffalo’s final game of last season, a playoff loss to the Jaguars. Jacksonville defensive end Yannick Ngakoue claimed Incognito had hurled some “weak racist slurs” at him, but the latter subsequently claimed they “hugged it out” while at the Pro Bowl.
In March, Incognito agreed to take a pay cut from the Bills, but after expressing excitement at being able to stay with the team, he later fired his agent via Twitter. Incognito used the social-media platform in April to announce his retirement, and he followed that up by telling a Buffalo newspaper, “My liver and kidneys are shutting down. Nothing I can’t restore with some balance, but the stress is killing me.”
The Bills reacted to Incognito’s stated intentions by placing him on their reserve/retired list, but he reportedly began feeling that he wanted to play again once teams began offseason training sessions. Buffalo accommodated that desire by releasing from the list, thus making him an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any other team.
Incognito is still regarded as an effective blocker, particularly in the running game, but after Wednesday’s incident, the veteran guard may not find much immediate demand for his services.
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