Gamble pays off for Raiders, Richie Incognito
There was quite a bit of skepticism when the Raiders announced before the 2019 season they would sign embattled guard Richie Incognito.
He was already 36 years old, had dealt with well-documented mental health issues that resulted in some ugly public episodes, had missed the entire 2018 season and was facing additional league discipline in the form of a suspension.
All of that was on top of missing the 2014 season after details of his role in the bullying of Baltimore Ravens teammate Jonathan Martin became public.
The risk more than paid off for the Raiders, who ended up with one of the top offensive linemen in the league.
Incognito played in 12 games last season and finished with the second-best pass blocking grade of the 87 offensive guards scored by Pro Football Focus.
“If you ask the players, I would say he’s probably one of the guys that they look up to the most, and he’s a fun guy to be around,” coach Jon Gruden said of Incognito late in the season. “You can’t believe everything you read. Let me say it like that. You know, he’s had some well-documented issues in his past. But he’s a great teammate. He’s a great player. He’s a heck of a leader, and we’re glad we have him. We’re trying to keep him on for another three or four years.”
That might be a stretch, but Incognito enters the 2020 season in good form. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 10th-best interior lineman entering the team’s first season in Las Vegas.
Incognito signed a two-year extension in December.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.