New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year and the Saints will lose their second round pick in 2012 and ’13 and pay $500,000 as a result of the NFL’s bounty investigation, the league announced Wednesday.Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who orchestrated the program, has been suspended indefinitely. Team general managerMickey Loomis also faces an eight-game suspension and a $500,000 fine.The NFL revealed in early March an investigation which found more than 20 defensive players for the New Orleans Saints participated in a “bounty” system from 2009 to ’11 which rewarded individuals with cash for harming opposing players.The league found that the cash pool reached $50,000 or more during the 2009 playoffs, and players were paid $1,500 for a “knockout” and $1,000 for a “cart-off” with payouts doubling or tripling during the playoffs. Money was provided primarily by players.All such payments violate league rules for non-contract bonuses.Williams administered the program, and the NFL says Saints coach Sean Payton was not a direct participant, yet was aware of the allegations and “failed to stop the bounty program.”Payton and Loomis took “full responsibility” for the violations in a joint statement issued days after the findings, and later met with league commissioner Roger Goodell in New York to discuss the issue.The pair apologized for the “unique hardship” on team owner Tom Benson, recognized the severity of the violations, and promised that they “will never happen again.”Williams, who left the Saints this offseason to become defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, apologized for his program, which he reportedly also implemented in several other NFL cities. Commissioner Goodell will review Williams’ status at the conclusion of the 2012 season and consider whether to reinstate him.
