Ordinarily, the signing of a guard who was out of the league last year wouldn’t draw much attention.
But because there’s nothing ordinary about Richie Incognito, the Bills’ announcement that they signed him came complete with a statement from owner Terry Pegula, who said he and his wife sat with Incognito during his visit.
“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.”
The decision to sign Incognito is a football-pragmatic one, as the Bills under Ryan want to be a more physical team, and he can provide that. He’s started 102 games in his career, and has been a Pro Bowler.
But his past issues made it clear that this wasn’t an ordinary situation, and the Bills are taking a leap of faith that he’ll be on his best behavior moving forward.
