Richie Incognito, Former Rams Draft Pick, Retires After Controversial NFL Career

Incognito, 39, played 14 seasons in the NFL, starting his career with the St. Louis Rams as a third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Offensive lineman Richie Incognito, who was both a Pro Bowler and a controversial figure who started his career with the Rams, announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday.

Incognito wrote a letter to fans of the Las Vegas Raiders, his final team, announcing the news.

"I've dealt with injuries the last two years I never had before in my career,'' wrote Incognito, who played in just two games in the last two seasons. "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."

Incognito, 39, played 14 seasons in the NFL, starting his career with the St. Louis Rams as a third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Incognito's college resume included an assortment of suspensions and a trio of assault charges and he was dismissed from two different college programs.

Some of those issues continued in the pros. He was claimed by the Bills after the Rams released him following a sideline argument with the St. Louis coach. He played three games with the Bills during the 2009 season, and then joined the Miami Dolphins, where he eventually made the Pro Bowl but was also suspended by the Dolphins indefinitely after allegedly bullying teammate Jonathan Martin in a controversy that reportedly included a racist message.

Incognito returned to the NFL in 2015 and qualified for three straight Pro Bowls as a member of the Bills. Following the 2017 NFL season, he said he was retiring, so the Bills released him ... after which came a series of behavioral incidents, including Incognito being arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot people at a funeral home in Arizona.