Raiders RG Richie Incognito Announces Retirement From The NFL

Former pro bowl offensive lineman Richie Incognito announced his retirement from football Friday after 13 years in the NFL.

Incognito made four pro bowls over his 13 years in the league, playing his last two seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. He will retire as a member of the Raiders organization.

“Since I played my first snap at 12 years old, nothing in my life was more important than football. The game always came first,” Incognito wrote in a letter on the Raiders’ team website.

My brothers for life!! https://t.co/s2XgMi4Hhb

— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) July 15, 2022

Incognito spent his NFL career with four different teams, the St. Louis Rams, the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. The former lineman started all 164 games he played in, arguably one of the best guards when on the field, including three pro bowl selections from 2015 to 2017.

The veteran guard’s time in the NFL was a tumultuous one, serving as the central figure in the Dolphins’ 2013 bullying scandal, receiving a suspension that amounted to eight games, spanning from the 2013 season to the start of 2014. During his suspension, Incognito checked himself into a treatment facility in Arizona in order to seek therapeutic help for well-documented issues with controlling his emotions.

Nevertheless, Incognito was seen as a vital part of the Raiders O-line and locker room, playing in all 12 games in 2019 before injuries cut his season short. He played in just two games in the following year, missing the majority of the season due to an Achilles injury, then missed all of 2021 before announcing his retirement.

Love you brother! Excited to see you go this year!! https://t.co/Szp84kl5CG

— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) July 15, 2022

“I’ve dealt with injuries the last two years I never had before in my career,” Incognito said. “My body told me it was time, and I knew I was ready to hang them up. And though some in my inner circle might not believe me – I’m ready. There’s no turning back.”

The full letter can be read at raiders.com. For more NFL coverage from Sactown Sports, click here.

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