Reports: Incognito made racist remarks to Martin

DAVIE, Fla. - Suspended Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito sent text messages to teammate Jonathan Martin that were racist and threatening, two people familiar with the situation said yesterday.

The people spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins and NFL haven't disclosed the nature of the misconduct that led to Incognito's suspension.

Sources told ESPN that Martin received a series of texts that include derogatory terms referring to the female anatomy and sexual orientation.

ESPN, citing multiple sources, also published a transcript of a profanity-laced voice message Incognito allegedly left for Martin in April.

"Hey, wassup, you half N-word piece of [bleep]," the transcript reads. "I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. [Bleep] in your [bleeping] mouth. Slap your [bleeping] mouth. Slap your real mother across the face. [Bleep] you, you're still a rookie. I'll kill you."

Incognito, a ninth-year pro, is white. Martin, who is in his second NFL season, is black.

Martin, a tackle, remained absent from practice yesterday, 1 week after he suddenly left the team. Also missing was Incognito, suspended indefinitely late Sunday by Miami for his treatment of Martin. The Miami Herald reported yesterday that the Dolphins plan to cut ties with Incognito

"He's done," a team source told the newspaper.

The Dolphins and NFL continued their investigation into allegations by Martin's representatives that he was bullied, and Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said it was Miami owner Stephen Ross who asked league commissioner Roger Goodell for assistance with that probe. The NFL Players Association also planned to look into the matter.

"Since April 10, 2012, when the players first came here and I was the head coach, every decision I've made, everything we've done in this facility has been done with one thing in mind," Philbin said yesterday. "That's to help our players and our organization reach their full potential. Any type of conduct, behavior that detracts from that objective is not acceptable and is not tolerated."

It's unclear whether Dolphins coaches and management had any inkling of harassment between players before Martin left the team, and Philbin declined to answer a question about the locker-room culture because of the ongoing investigation. Recent rumblings of locker-room dissension have also included complaints by young players that they're pressured to pay more than their share when team members socialize together.

"If the review shows that this is not a safe atmosphere, I will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that it is," Philbin said.