Former NFL offensive lineman Richie Incognito is hitting back at ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and other media outlets following new revelations about the infamous 2013 “BullyGate” scandal.
The controversy, which led to Incognito’s suspension and widespread media attention, was reignited when Jonathan Martin, the former Miami Dolphins offensive tackle at the center of the drama, admitted he never actually believed he was being bullied.
“I never believed for a second I was being bullied,” Martin told ESPN. “It’s a story that I’ve been trying to fix for 10 years.”
The allegations of bullying against Incognito stemmed from an incident where Martin allegedly walked out of the Dolphins’ cafeteria in 2013 due to harassment from his teammates, sparking an NFL investigation.
The Ted Wells Report, commissioned by the league, found that Incognito, along with teammates Mike Pouncey and John Jerry, had engaged in a “pattern of harassment.”
The fallout from the report led to Incognito’s suspension for the remainder of the season and Martin’s eventual departure from the team.
Now, more than a decade later, Martin is changing his story. He claims that his mother played a significant role in shaping the narrative.
“I had a situation with my teammates that I wasn’t super happy about,” Martin said. “But my mother had her own read on the situation.”
In response, Incognito wasted no time calling out Schefter and other media figures for perpetuating what he believes was a false narrative.
“He couldn’t cut it in the NFL so he quit and his mom blamed me. Legacy media pushed this narrative long and far. Too bad it was all a lie! They lied to protect his money. He quit… the team had every right to claw back that money. His mom started the bullying narrative with @espn @AdamSchefter so that @MiamiDolphins wouldn’t go after his signing bonus!,” Incognito posted on X.
Incognito also directed his frustration at Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, demanding accountability for the reporting that contributed to the scandal.
“You tried to ruin my career over a lie! A decade later Jonathan Martin admits he was never bullied. His mother pushed the narrative of bullying to the media. Jonathan Martin never believed in the stance his camp was taking during the Ted Wells investigation. The NFL and the media ran with a false narrative, ruined careers, and moved on. @ProFootballTalk,” Incognito posted on X.
While Schefter and Florio weren’t the only journalists involved in covering the incident, Incognito’s comments highlight the lasting impact the media’s portrayal of him has had on his life and career.
He contends that his reputation suffered, and he missed significant time in the league before finding new opportunities with the Buffalo Bills and eventually finishing his career with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now that more details about Martin’s involvement are coming to light, the narrative surrounding the “BullyGate” scandal is being reevaluated.
Whether Incognito will pursue further action – legal or otherwise – remains to be seen.
However, it’s clear that he’s not backing down in his fight for justice, especially when it comes to how the media handled his story.
What are your thoughts on the whole situation???
