Guard Richie Incognito said Tuesday that he’s trying “to weather” the intense controversy during his indefinite suspension from the Miami Dolphins amid charges he bullied teammate Jonathan Martin to the extent Martin left the team.
“I’m just trying to weather the storm right now,” Incognito told Miami’s WSVN-Channel 7 in his first public comments since the club announced his suspension Sunday evening. “This will pass.”
Incognito would not comment on transcripts of voice mails in which he reportedly threatened Martin and used a racial slur.
The Dolphins moved forward without those two starting offensive linemen Tuesday, signing a guard off Dallas’ practice squad to fill Incognito’s roster spot.
There are no indications that Martin will return soon. But while the NFL is investigating the case and Martin’s representatives have gotten involved, Martin is still being paid by the team and is taking up a roster spot.
A league official said Tuesday that if Martin is placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, he will be done for the season.
The Dolphins signed guard David Arkin, who previously played for the Cowboys and was on the team’s practice squad this season. The Dolphins’ offensive line has struggled all season and now has major depth issues.
Nate Garner will start for Incognito and Tyson Clabo replaces Martin, but the Dolphins could be in trouble if any offensive line starter is injured.
Coach Joe Philbin and players did not meet with the media Tuesday, but the drama has continued to garner national attention. During the daily media briefing at the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said he was confident President Obama, who has spoken out against bullying, is aware of the Dolphins’ situation.
Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, who briefly played with the Dolphins, criticized Philbin on ESPN, saying coaches like Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells and Nick Saban would have never let a locker room issue escalate to this level.
Philbin said he spoke to Martin and his family regularly after Martin left the team last Monday but that he did not hear of any allegations against other Dolphins players until Martin’s representatives brought it to Miami’s attention Sunday. That’s when the voice mails were given to the Dolphins and Incognito was suspended.
“The reason why coaches in this league are great is because they care about the players,” said Carter, who lives in Boca Raton. “The reason why (Martin) didn’t want to talk to (Philbin) when they met is because he didn’t trust him. When a young kid can’t go to a coach and tell him what’s happening to him, that’s how guys get weeded out in this league.”
Redskins linebacker London Fletcher told The Washington Post that he blamed the Dolphins veteran players for not doing enough to make Martin feel comfortable.
“I know Incognito is the one who is, I guess, the main culprit,” Fletcher said. “But I think probably he’s not the only guy that will end up coming out as being a guy who was giving Jonathan Martin a hard time, going beyond what the norm is.
“I’m real disappointed in the leadership in the locker room down there in Miami.”
Packers QB Rodgers has fractured left collarbone
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Packers’ franchise quarterback is taking a seat.
Aaron Rodgers said Tuesday he has a fractured left collarbone and has no idea yet how long he will be out.
The 2011 NFL MVP offered details of the injury on his weekly radio show on 540-AM ESPN. He got hurt after getting sacked by the Bears’ Shea McClellin on a third-down play during the Packers’ first series while he was scrambling outside the pocket. He hurt his left, non-throwing shoulder.
“I do have a fractured collarbone. That’s a significant injury,” Rodgers said. “We’ll know more about the severity and the timetable later this week.”
Rodgers said he was holding out hope he would heal quickly. “In this case, it was considerably more pain than I’ve felt in a long time,” he added.
That collective groan you heard came from the state of Wisconsin.
The sliver of good news for the Packers: coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the injury won’t end Rodgers’ season. He sounded much more optimistic than after Monday night’s 27-20 loss to Chicago.
“I’m relieved, no doubt,” McCarthy told reporters at Lambeau Field. “With the new information that was given today, everybody felt better about it. How long? We don’t have our hands around a timeline yet, but I know Aaron is very optimistic and he’ll do everything he can to get back in a timely fashion.”
Texans’ Kubiak had mini-stroke, out indefinitely
HOUSTON — Texans coach Gary Kubiak is out of the hospital after suffering what the team said was a mini-stroke, but there’s no word on when he will resume coaching duties.
The team said the 52-year-old Kubiak suffered a transient ischemic attack at halftime of Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday and is expected to make a full recovery.
“I’ve been through an ordeal and my focus now is to get back to good health,” Kubiak said in a statement released by the team. “Doctors have told me I will make a full recovery.”
Kubiak collapsed on the field and was rushed to a hospital. The Texans blew an 18-point lead without him and the 27-24 setback was the team’s sixth straight loss.
A transient ischemic attack, or TIA, occurs when blood flow to the brain is briefly interrupted, typically by a blood clot or narrowed blood vessels. TIAs are often called mini-strokes and can cause stroke-like symptoms including sudden dizziness, numbness, vision loss or unconsciousness, though symptoms last only a few minutes or a few hours and no permanent brain damage occurs. TIAs are often a warning sign for a future stroke.
Former Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker had a mini-stroke in 2012. Baker, who was initially hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat, returned to manage the Reds less than two weeks after his mini-stroke.
Houston didn’t identify an interim coach as it prepared for Sunday’s game at Arizona. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, a former head coach for Dallas, took over after Kubiak was taken to the hospital and he ran Houston’s practice on Monday. Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison likely will take over the play-calling duties if Kubiak isn’t back by Sunday.
