Richie Incognito announces retirement

I owe my ability to maintain single-minded focus to my father and the gift of grit and perseverance to my mother. While those have been foundational to my career, it was – perhaps, most importantly ­­– their unconditional love that gave me the confidence to believe in myself. I’ll never be able to repay them for that.

With sacrifice comes adversity. While I wouldn’t change those long hours in the gym and on the field, I’m excited for the wide-open ventures ahead of me. Take a vacation when I want. Go back to school to get my MBA. Spend more time with my family and friends.

After stepping away from football in 2018, I knew if I came back, it would be to finish out my career on my terms. It also had to be with the right team, which I found in the Raiders. There’s always hesitancy in coming back when you’ve been out of the game, but after a tryout with the Raiders, I immediately knew it was the place for me. It made me hungry to come back.