By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/10/2005
After just one practice in three weeks, offensive lineman
Richie Incognito is shutting it down for the season.
"I'm a little disappointed," Incognito said Wednesday. "But my leg isn't strong enough to be ready to get back - to hold that knee in place. But I'm going to get better. Get stronger. Learn the system. And hopefully come in and contribute next year."
After being drafted in the third round by the Rams, Incognito underwent surgery at the end of April to re-attach a membrane that had torn loose from his kneecap. Shortly after finally signing with the Rams on Sept. 29, Incognito faced a three-week window under NFL rules to see if he was capable of playing this season.
That window started the week of the Rams' game Oct. 23 against New Orleans, and ended with the bye week last week. The Rams then had to decide whether to place Incognito on their 53-man roster or keep him on the reserve/non-football injury list for the entire season.
The Rams decided to keep him on the reserve list, meaning he cannot play or practice with the team this season. Although the kneecap is improving, it's not coming along fast enough for Incognito to play in 2005.
Interim head coach Joe Vitt shared Incognito's disappointment.
"He's a gifted athlete," Vitt said. "But we're going to keep him here. He's going to work out with us. We're going to get him into as many meetings as we can get him into. He's going to watch the offense progress. I think he's a real star. I really do."
Incognito didn't feel the knee was ready to take on 300-pound defensive linemen on a daily basis. "The whole thought was it'd be ready," Incognito said. "But you never know till you get out there and start moving around. ... It just didn't happen quick enough."
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