Another week, another opposing defensive lineman calling Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito dirty.
This time it’s Cardinals defensive end Nick Eason, who is preparing to face Incognito on the field on Sunday and says that he knows from first-hand experience just how dirty Incognito is: According to Eason, only once in all the football games he’s ever played has an opponent spit on him, and that opponent was Incognito, during a 2010 game.
“I’ve never had a player or person in my life spit in my face,” Eason told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “It took everything in my power to restrain myself.”
Eason referenced the game two weeks ago when Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith accused Incognito of trying to injure his ankle. The NFL looked at the footage and didn’t fine Incognito but did fine Smith $21,000 for kicking Incognito.
“He basically tried to break Antonio’s leg,” Eason said of Incognito. “Antonio got fined because he had to kick the guy off of him and [the NFL] did nothing to him. Usually players who do that are the non-athletic guys who really can’t block people so they play dirty.”
Incognito has defended himself as a tough and physical -- but not dirty -- player. Eason says Incognito crosses the line, which makes Eason “really excited for the opportunity to play against the guy.” But Eason says he’ll be smart enough not to retaliate, knowing that the retaliation is often what gets penalized -- as Smith found out the hard way.