When the Raiders signed Richie Incognito, it was met with a ton of skepticism, but he has been better than advertised, and will now lead.
Before the 2019 NFL season, the then-Oakland Raiders turned a lot of heads when they signed former Pro Bowl offensive guard Richie Incognito. One of the better players at his position in the league during his prime, Incognito had plenty of off-the-field issues to address before coming to the Raiders, but the team still inked him anyway.
After sitting out two games due to suspension for his off-the-field incidents, Incognito was planted into the starting lineup and had an outstanding first season with the Raiders. After the season, they signed him to a new deal, making him a part of their future moving forward.
Unfortunately, Incognito was injured during most of the 2020 campaign, and after the season, the team released him. However, it was only for a short time, as they signed him to a new contract, and will count on him to be the team’s starting left guard once again in 2021.
For a player who has gone through many issues, and was seen as a bad teammate for many years, Incognito has become a leader for this Raiders offensive line. He has seemingly put all his issues in the past, and if the Raiders are to do anything special this season, they need the very best of No. 64.
Raiders will lean on Incognito in 2021
Las Vegas shuffled up the offensive line in a big way this offseason, trading away Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, and Trent Brown. Incognito returns, as does Kolton Miller, who is becoming one of the better left tackles in all of football.
Rookie Alex Leatherwood will take over for Brown at right tackle, and it will be either Andre James or Nick Martin replacing Hudson at center. Overall, this is a solid group, and while he was seen as a shocking signing a few years back, Incognito goes in 2021 as an anchor for this Raiders offensive line.
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There are plenty of reasons to be excited about this 2021 team, including the revamped offensive line. If Incognito can stay healthy, he is a piece the team certainly does not have to worry about, especially if he can continue to move in the right direction off the field.