Richie Incognito is returning to a setting of a scandal that arguably grabbed as much national attention as Deflategate when he enters Miami as a member of the Bills.
Incognito will suit up to play in Miami for the first time since October 31, 2013, which was his final game with the Dolphins prior to being suspended for bullying teammate Jonathan Martin in a scandal that made national headlines.
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Ahead of the Week 3 matchup, Incognito said he wants to "give it to them" and "kick Miami's butt out of brotherly love," but also said he hopes to put the past to bed.
"I would hope that we can move past all this," Incognito said Tuesday per ESPN, "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."
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In 2013, the NFL looked into Incognito's alleged bullying of Martin and opted to suspend the guard on Nov. 3, 2013, after Martin left the team. The league said Incognito's conduct was detrimental to Martin and the club, but the ban was eventually lifted in February 2014.
Incognito sat out all of last season in the wake of the incident. Rex Ryan and the Bills then signed the guard this past February out of free agency, marking the second time he'd play for Buffalo (2009).
The 6-foot-3, 319-pound football star said he was "amped" up for the contest against his old team.
"This one just has a little more meaning," he said. "There's obviously bigger things at play here."
There are rumors that Ryan may make Incognito a captain for the game, but he doesn't know how the fans will respond to him.
"I have no idea what to expect [from the crowd]," Incognito said adding he "has a lot of friends" in the area. "I've always had a lot of love from their fans. I've got a lot of respect for them."
Off-the-field distractions aside, it's a big game for the Bills (1-1) as the team looks to bounce back from losing to another division rival in the Patriots (2-0) this past Sunday. The Dolphins (1-1) may spoil what could be an awkward homecoming for Incognito.
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