It’s not often a football player can take a year off when they’re in their mid-30s and play the best they have in their career. Well, Richie Incognito is proving to be an exception to the rule for the Oakland Raiders. Jon Gruden and company turned some heads when they decided to bring on the controversial offensive lineman, but the move has paid off big time. Incognito hasn’t just been a model citizen since joining the team, he’s also been one of the best offensive guards in the NFL.
Thanks to those facts, both the Raiders and Incognito want him to return for the move to Las Vegas next season, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
“It’s been a great fit for me,” Incognito said Thursday to Tafur, “and it’s been really good for them too.”
As Tafur points out, thanks to a rule in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, players on the specific deal that Incognito is on can’t receive a contract extension until after the season. Regardless of that fact, it’s looking like the team will bring him back for 2020 and maybe even longer.
Carr Insurance
There have been a handful of excellent offensive line units that Derek Carr has been privileged to play behind. Back in 2016 when the Raiders had arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, they adopted the nickname “Carr Insurance.” That disappeared after a couple of mediocre seasons, but now the newest Raider offensive line has brought it back.
Successful delivery of @derekcarrqb to the end zone yesterday courtesy of Carr Insurance Company! #JustWinBaby #VictoryMonday
This offensive line unit has certainly earned the right to the “Carr Insurance” nickname. Through 10 games, they’re only allowing 1.5 sacks per game. That’s second-best in the NFL next to the Dallas Cowboys. Considering that the unit has faced injuries all season, that’s incredibly impressive. They haven’t matched 2016’s 1.2 sacks per game allowed, but it could be argued that the 2019 version of “Carr Insurance” is even better. One thing the Raiders didn’t have in 2016 was a good right tackle. Now they might just have the best in the game in Trent Brown. It also has to be mentioned that Oakland’s run game has been excellent and offensive line deserves a lot of credit for that.
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Could Incognito Make His First All-Pro Team?
Even though he missed the first two games of the season, it’s looking like Richie Incognito is a lock for the pro bowl. He’s been there four times before, so that shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise. However, he’s never made a first or second All-Pro team. Troy Aikman recently said Incognito is playing the best football at offensive guard since Hall of Famer Larry Allen. If that’s true, he’s more than worthy of an All-Pro selection. According to ESPN, Incognito has the sixth-best Pass Block Win Rate among guards. While that’s good enough for the pro bowl, it may not be good enough for the All-Pro team. He may not be in line this season, but he could also get a chance next season.
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Raiders’ Richie Incognito Reveals Where He Plans to Play Next Season