NFL suspends Sean Payton, Gregg Williams for Saints bounty scandal
The NFL has dropped the hammer on the New Orleans Saints in the wake of a three-year investigation of the team’s “pay-for-performance” bounty system.
The league has suspended Saints Coach Sean Payton without pay for the entire 2012 season; Saints GM Mickey Loomis for the first eight games of the upcoming season; and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams -- now with the St. Louis Rams -- indefinitely.
The Saints, who have been fined $500,000, also must forfeit their second-round picks in both the 2012 and 2013 drafts.
Joe Vitt, New Orleans’ linebackers coach and assistant head coach, was a potential interim replacement for Payton, but he was also suspended for six games for his part in the scandal and subsequent coverup.
It is a massive penalty, one that is likely to devastate one of the league’s most popular franchises.
The Saints were found to be paying players -- from a cash pool made up of contributions of players, Williams and others -- for injuring opponents. The rewards included $1,000 for causing an opponent to be carted off the field, and $1,500 for a knockout.
One of the reasons the penalties are so severe is that the league had instructed the Saints to dismantle the program, and they did not.
RELATED:
T.J. Simers: Spare the anger over a bounty system in the NFL
Sam Farmer: Don’t let the Saints off the hook in bounty scandal
John Madden says NFL will end bounty systems with harsh punishment
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
