Ted Wells, the investigator appointed by the NFL to investigate the alleged harassment in the workplace that resulted in Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin leaving the team and fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito getting suspended, has released a statement saying the Dolphins are cooperating as he prepares to interview team personnel.
“We look forward to meeting with Dolphins players, coaches and staff in order to get the facts and prepare a thorough and fair report,” Wells said. “The Dolphins organization has been very helpful in arranging the interviews and urging their personnel to cooperate with the investigation. We have asked all Dolphins personnel to respect the process and avoid commenting on the investigation.”
For the Dolphins’ coaching staff and front office, the last part of that statement may be the most important: Coach Joe Philbin, General Manager Jeff Ireland and others in the organization don’t want to talk to the media about the situation, and Wells’s statement gives them cover to say, “We can’t comment while the investigation is in progress.”
We likely won’t find out exactly what Philbin and Ireland think of this situation until Wells releases his report.