One of the lingering mysteries in the Dolphins’ messy Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin case has been the lack of backlash toward Incognito from within the team’s locker room, despite Incognito referring to Martin as a “half-n—–” on one voicemail. We may now have an answer, unusual as it may be.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported Wednesday that Incognito is considered “an honorary Black man” by his teammates.

“Richie is honorary,” one player who left the Dolphins this offseason told me today. “I don’t expect you to understand because you’re not Black. But being a Black guy, being a brother is more than just about skin color. It’s about how you carry yourself. How you play. Where you come from. What you’ve experienced. A lot of things.”

That explanation seemingly goes hand in hand with what ESPN’s Cris Carter said on SportsCenter, following a talk with Miami center Mike Pouncey. “They love Richie Incognito and they wish he was playing football for them this [Monday],” Carter said, via the Herald. Receiver Mike Wallace echoed those comments to Salguero, saying, “I don’t have a problem with Richie. I love Richie.” Cornerback Brent Grimes and tight end Michael Egnew, meanwhile, both stated that Incognito is not racist.