The Miami Dolphins have suspended starting guard Richie Incognito due to "conduct detrimental to the team".

Incognito is alleged to have been part of the reason behind teammate Jonathan Martin's continued absence from the team, with the offensive tackle claiming player misconduct and harassment as the reasons behind his sudden departure last week.

The Dolphins are working with the NFL to investigate the situation and have now banned Incognito indefinitely following the allegations.

"The Miami Dolphins have suspended Richie Incognito for conduct detrimental to the team," read a statement from the team.

"We believe in maintaining a culture of respect for one another and as a result we believe this decision is in the best interest of the organization at this time.

"As we noted earlier, we reached out to the NFL to conduct an objective and thorough review. We will continue to work with the league on this matter."

Meanwhile, Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has warned his players that bullying will not be tolerated.