One day after making his first public comments since undergoing treatment in the wake of the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal, free-agent guard Richie Incognito said Wednesday he hopes to return to the team.
"Returning to the Dolphins was my number one goal from the time I got suspended," Incognito said in an interview with WSVN in Miami. "... I want to return to the community in Miami and resume my playing career as soon as possible."
On Tuesday, Incognito posted his first tweets since Feb. 18, before he underwent unspecified treatment. A person familiar with Incognito's situation said the veteran lineman was exhausted after being "dragged through the mud" in recent months.
An NFL investigation determined Incognito and two other Dolphins offensive linemen engaged in persistent harassment of teammate Jonathan Martin, who left the team in October. Incognito was then suspended and missed the final eight games, and he became a free agent last week when his contract with the Dolphins expired.
"Dolphins fans, Richie is well," Incognito told WSVN. "Richie wants to come back and play. But the business has to handle the business end, and that's it."
Incognito sent tweets last month that varied dramatically in tone. He went on a rant that quickly went viral, blasting Martin and his agent, then later tweeted apologies to Martin, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Ted Wells, the attorney who investigated the bullying scandal for the NFL.
In late February, police in Scottsdale, Ariz., said Incognito told an officer he put several dents in the hood of his black Ferrari in an apparent tantrum.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.