The Jonathan Martin situation has taken another twist. Only hours after the Dolphins released a statement on Sunday saying "the notion of bullying is based on speculation," Martin fired back by formally raising allegations of player misconduct.
"We received notification today from Jonathan’s representation about allegations of player misconduct," the Dolphins said in a statement. "We are taking these allegations very seriously and plan to review the matter further. We have also reached out to the NFL and asked them to conduct an objective and thorough review. As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another."
Martin may have decided to make the allegations after the Dolphins released the following statement on Sunday morning, "The notion of bullying is based on speculation and has not been presented to us as a concern from Jonathan or anyone else internally. The reports that the NFLPA is investigating our players are inaccurate. Additionally, the NFL offered its assistance during this time, which we appreciated and gladly accepted."
On Saturday, the NFLPA had announced it would not be investigating the circumstances surrounding Martin's absence, however, that was because Martin had not yet formally alleged anything against his Dolphin teammates. Now that he's done that, the NFLPA could end up conducting its own investigation.
Martin's exact problems with the team aren't clear, but a media report on Sunday suggested that money was one of them. The report said that Dolphins lineman Richie Incognito asked Martin to chip-in $15,000 for a Las Vegas trip last summer.
Martin allegedly gave Incognito the $15,000 because he feared the consequences of what might happen if he didn't.
Incognito and Martin exchanged text messages on Friday and in one of those texts, Martin told Incognito, "I don't blame you guys at all." However, according to ESPN.com, Martin only sent that text because he feared retribution.
There's currently no timetable for when Martin might return to the team and the Dolphins are expected to place him on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list this week.
