Richie Incognito on Miami return: 'This one just has a little more meaning'

ByMike Rodak ESPN logo
Tuesday, September 22, 2015

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Five days before returning to play in Miami for the first time since his 2013 suspension from the Dolphins, Bills guard Richie Incognito hopes to put the bullying scandal that interrupted his career behind him, but understands that it will still be discussed for many years.

"I would hope that we can move past all this," Incognito said in the Bills' locker room Tuesday, "but I definitely understand that it's still going to be prevalent probably through the end of this year, and probably the Monday Night Football guys will probably be bringing it up for five years from now."

The Bills' trip to Sun Life Stadium this weekend will be the first time that Incognito has played in Miami since Oct. 31, 2013, his final game with the Dolphins before being suspended as part of an investigation involving former teammate Jonathan Martin.

"I think it's one of those things in professional sports where you cross paths with one of your old teams, and you want to give it to them," Incognito said. " ... It's like brotherly love. You want to kick your brother's butt in anything you do."

Incognito said he is "amped up" for any game but later added, "This one just has a little more meaning. There's obviously bigger things at play here."

Despite his suspension from the team and an NFL investigation into his behavior, Incognito said he still is close with several Dolphins players and staffers and will visit friends in the South Beach area when the Bills arrive in town.

Rex Ryan could also make Incognito a captain for the game. Ryan has a long history of naming players as captains against their former teams and has continued the practice with the Bills, sending former Colts defensive end Jerry Hughes out for the coin toss in the Bills' opener against Indianapolis and tapping former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel as a captain on Sunday against New England.

Incognito said Tuesday that he hasn't been told whether he'll be a captain.

"I have no idea what to expect [from the crowd]," Incognito said. "I really have no idea. Like I said, I've got a lot of friends in the organization. I've got a lot of friends that still play down there. I've got a lot of friends in the South Florida area.

"I've always had a lot of love from their fans. I've got a lot of respect for them."

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