Richie Incognito is a changed man. The wife of the Buffalo Bills' new owner says so.
NFL.com reported that the Bills organization believes that the "bully behavior" of Incognito that earned him a half-year suspension and a year-and-a-half hiatus from the league is a thing of the past.
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Incognito met with several members of the Bills organization and convinced them that he is changed for the better. New owner Terry Pegula curiously mentioned that included among the Bills brass was his wife, Kim.
"I personally met with Richie, along with Doug Whaley, Rex Ryan and Kim regarding an opportunity to earn a spot on the Buffalo Bills roster," Pegula said.
"Obviously, we all discussed Richie's past experience in the NCAA and NFL. We are convinced that Richie is prepared to move forward and has and will continue to take the necessary steps to improve himself as a person and a teammate. Following discussion with the rest of the coaching staff, we as an organization will provide him with the opportunity to do so."
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There was no further statement as to why the wife's owner was at the meeting.
At the end of February last year, NFL Network's Jeff Darlington tweeted that Incognito checked himself into an unspecified treatment facility after being suspended by the league for his part in bullying teammate Jonathan Martin, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Darlington's tweet said: "Incognito is currently being treated at a facility in Arizona after what has been some very stressful times for him & those closest to him."
He was reinstated last year and had tryouts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos but did not land on a roster.
The Bills did not disclose whether they sought the opinion from someone in the medical field as to whether he thought Incognito was in a better place.
The offensive guard had a history of having a mean streak. Media outlets have reported that he wore out his welcome with the St. Louis Rams, the team that drafted him in 2005 (he missed that season after a contract dispute), after 3 ½ seasons. He played with the Bills for three games at the end of 2009 before signing with the Miami Dolphins in 2010.
Most analysts agree that Incognito was one of the better NFL guards before his suspension. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2012. As a player, his mean streak served him well.
But it also remains to be seen if Incognito is a changed man as the Bills believe, whether he can still turn on that mean streak when he's back on the field - or turn it off when he comes off.
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