GREEN BAY, Wis. — The NFL's investigation into the New Orleans Saints' bounty program to injure opponents determined that any player who took out Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last season would be paid $5,000.
In the NFL's more than 2,000-word statement on the heavy suspensions levied against the New Orleans organization, one section mentioned that a "close associate" emailed head coach Sean Payton, saying an injury to Rodgers would result in a $5,000 payment.
"PS Greg Williams put me down for $5000 on Rogers," according to the email sent to Payton before the Packers and Saints met to open the 2011 season.
According to the NFL, "when shown the email during the course of the investigation, Coach Payton stated that it referred to a 'bounty' on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers."
Gregg Williams, the Saints' defensive coordinator at the time who is now with the St. Louis Rams, has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL, effective immediately. Commissioner Roger Goodell will review Williams' status at the end of the 2012 season "and consider whether to reinstate him, and, if so, on what terms."
In addition to Williams' suspension, Payton was suspended without pay for the entire 2012 season. and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games. Plus, the Saints were fined $500,000 and will forfeit their second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
According to the NFL's statement, there was a $10,000 bounty on former Packers quarterback Brett Favre, an amount that Saints defensive captain Jonathan Vilma offered to any player who knocked the then-Vikings quarterback out of the 2010 NFC Championship Game. After that game, Saints defensive players were penalized a total of $30,000 in fines for four separate illegal hits, "several of which were directed against quarterback Brett Favre."
In each of the past three seasons, the Saints were among the top five teams in the NFL in roughing-the-passer penalties.
In response to the suspensions and mentions of targeting Rodgers, Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang posted on Twitter: "Saints got what they deserved."
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