The Oakland Raiders have received quality production from Richie Incognito in his first season back in the NFL. With an expiring contract on the horizon, will the Raiders re-sign him as they head off to Las Vegas?
In May, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock gave offensive guard Richie Incognito a one-year ‘prove it’ deal worth $1.03 million. At the time of signing many people around the league were skeptical due to Incongito’s absence away from football and his off the field antics.
Despite all the baggage that came with him, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock stuck with the four-time pro bowl guard and interrogated him into their 2019 plans. He started the season by serving a four game suspension, but since becoming a full-time starter, Incognito has been every bit of the player that the coaching staff had hoped of.
It’s hard to visualize a one-year flyer on a troubled player such as Incognito going any better than it has up to this point.
At the age of 36, Incognito has been one of the best offensive guards in football. While his superior play on the field has been a plus for the Raiders, so has his off the field actions and leadership in the locker room. Gruden has spoken upon Incognito’s work with the rookies as one of their biggest building blocks to learn from in many of his press conferences throughout the year.
In his first year under Gruden, Incognito has taken 691 snaps throughout 11 games and has only allowed one sack over that stretch. So is that good enough to get a new contract next season?
Since him and the Raiders agreed on a veteran minimum contract, the Collective Bargaining Agreement does not allow players to resign with their team until after the season ends because of the minimum salary basis that he played on during the 2019 season.If the Raiders want Incognito back next season, they’ll have to wait until the offseason to do so.
After considering the stellar season Incognito has put together in a Raiders uniform, a new contract is certainly granted. Gruden and Mayock shall make re-signing him a point of emphasis entering the offseason as Oakland’s offensive line efforts have been top-notch for a better part of the 2019 season.
Factoring in his age, a one or two-year deal would make the most sense for both sides. At 36, Incognito won’t be the most expensive player on the market, and still a highly productive guard that would benefit the Raiders.
It’s important to remember that Gruden gave him a chance to get back into the league when nobody else would. A new contract this offseason could be a win-win situation for both parties.