(CNN) — The Miami Dolphins have suspended offensive lineman Richie Incognito after allegations of misconduct lodged by offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, who left the NFL team last week.
Incognito was suspended “for conduct detrimental to the team.”
“We believe in maintaining a culture of respect for one another,” the Dolphins said in a statement.
Earlier Sunday, the Dolphins announced that Martin’s representatives had made “allegations of player misconduct.” The team did not identify the target of those allegations, but Incognito’s Twitter account denied media reports that Martin accused him of bullying.
“Shame on you for attaching my name to false speculation,” one of the tweets said, according to Bleacher Report. That tweet and others addressed to various media outlets were deleted later.
Last week, the Dolphins announced Martin had taken “a leave of absence.” At the time, the team said Martin had made no allegations of bullying.
The team said Sunday it had asked the NFL “to conduct an objective and thorough review.”
Before the suspension was announced, a spokesman for the NFL Players Association said the union had not launched an investigation.
But the spokesman, George Atallah, issued a statement saying, “The NFLPA believes that management has an obligation to ensure a safe and professional workplace, and we will continue to be in close touch with our player leaders and all players involved as the information develops.”
The allegations strike former NFL running back Jamal Anderson as curious.
“I can’t understand, I cannot relate to any of the facts — if these are facts — any of the things we’re hearing about this story,” the former Atlanta Falcons player told CNN’s Carol Costello on Monday. “It’s foreign to me, a player who would allow this to happen, an organization that would allow this to happen, a leadership of a team that would allow this to continue to happen.”
“It’s all very odd to me,” he said.
CNN Sports’ Quand Thomas contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
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