New Orleans Saints: Bounty System Reportedly Extends to Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

As if going after Brett Favre and Kurt Warner wasn't bad enough, the New Orleans Saints' bounty system reportedly stretched into this season with a price on the head of MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune wrote a roundup on the bounty scandal and, other than Gregg Williams, pointed a finger squarely at one man in particular.

That man is Mike Ornstein, a well-known and controversial figure in NFL circles. Duncan goes into deep detail about his potential involvement, focusing on an email that the NFL investigation reportedly found that was sent to Saints coaches.

Duncan writes:

"

Among the 18,000 documents league investigators examined is an email from Ornstein to Saints' coaches last season in which he pledged money for a knockout blow to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the NFL kickoff game, according to a source familiar with the situation.

That same source insists Ornstein sent the message in jest. Payton reportedly told NFL investigators last week he did not read the email.

"

Whether the NFL finds validity to a bounty out on Rodgers in the 2011 opener is relevant, but the damage has already been done in the sense that someone close to the coaches and team put in a call to make it happen.

What Ornstein's role is in all of this remains to be seen (depending on the sources), but they apparently have documented evidence that he wanted Rodgers taken out.

Adding another Super Bowl and regular-season MVP to the list of names on the Saints' hit list is hardly going to help their case at all.

Having Ornstein's name attached to it makes it even worse.