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After spending the second half of the Miami Dolphins' 2013 season on the suspended list, guard Richie Incognito has reiterated his goal of returning to the NFL in 2014, even going so far as to say he would play for the Dolphins for free if he could re-sign with the franchise.
The league, however, does not seem to be in a rush to bring Incognito back into the fraternity of players. After multiple breakdowns, several of which were public including Twitter rants and beating his $300,000 Ferrari with a baseball bat, Incognito checked himself into treatment facilities. Without specifying exactly what kind of facility it was, Incognito has said that he was dealing with the stress caused by the league's investigation into Jonathan Martin's allegation of player misconduct, and the results of the Ted Wells report, which found Incognito led a "pattern of harassment" directed toward Martin.
NFL Media's Michael Silver has reported Incognito has sought treatment at three separate facilities in recent weeks, dealing with substance abuse and mental-health issues.
The NFL, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, has said Incognito, currently a free agent after his contract concluded this month, can sign a contract with any franchise, but he will not be paid or allowed onto a field until he undergoes a full comprehensive evaluation by NFL-NFLPA appointed medical advisors.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will have to review their report.
Incognito has also been linked to a possible return with the Oakland Raiders, where former Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano is the offensive line coach.