Saints Bounty: NFL Suspends Sean Payton 1 Year as New Orleans Loses Draft Picks

Following the news that the New Orleans Saints had a bounty system for injuring opponents, head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Update: Wednesday, March 21 at 1:59 p.m. ET

Payton is reportedly shocked by the news.

Jay Glazer said on NFL Network, per Pro Football Talk:

"

“I did talk to him and he’s stunned to say the least. I think the entire team thought maybe there’d be a four-game suspension, but not a year. I said, ‘Are you OK?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m not OK.’ He is stunned. He’s going to lose about $8 million. He is beside himself here.”

"

Pro Football Talk tweeted:

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Sean Payton suspension is effective April 1; Gregg Williams suspension is effective immediately.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 21, 2012"

Update: Wednesday, March 21 at 1:30 p.m. ET

The NFL has issued an official announcement regarding the Saints' three-year bounty system from 2009 to 2011, per Pro Football Talk.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday:

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We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game. We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.

A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious. When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game.

"

Schefter tweeted on Wednesday:

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Sean Payton suspended one year. Mickey Loomis 8 game and $500,000 fine. Saints fined $500,000 and a second-round pick in 2012 and 2012.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2012"

The Saints actually lost second-round picks in 2012 and 2013, as Schefter clarified:

"

Saints lost two second-round picks, one in 12 one in 13.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2012"

Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was spotlighted for the bounty program, has been suspended indefinitely, per Adam Brandt of the National Football Post:

"

Gregg Williams suspended indefinitely, to be reviewed at the end of 2012.

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) March 21, 2012"

On March 2, Schefter reported, "NFL security determined between 22 and 27 defensive players on the Saints, as well as at least one asst. coach, maintained a bounty program."

The investigation reportedly began in 2010 when allegations were made that the Saints were targeting quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Kurt Warner.

Last season, several players called the Saints a dirty team, including Tennessee Titans receiver Nate Washington and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

It's a black mark for a franchise that won the Super Bowl in 2010 and has one of the great quarterbacks in the game in Drew Brees. The penalties will undoubtedly set the Saints back.

As for Payton, considered one of the better head coaches in the game, this hurts his legacy. The NFL has come down hard on him, evidently seeing he had a hand in the bounty system, and you have to wonder if his career will ultimately be marred by the violations.

The Saints have received a harsh penalty for their mistakes, and it's a warning to the rest of the league that the NFL won't put up with such nonsense.

Follow me on Twitter. We can talk about how many things the Saints did wrong.