Suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has apologised for his team's controversial bounty scheme.
Payton apologises for bounty scheme as Saints mull replacement options
Suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has apologised for his team's controversial bounty scheme that was exposed by an NFL investigation.
The league has come down hard on the Saints, and for the first time ever they have suspended a head coach, with Payton banned without pay for one season.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games while former defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams has been banned indefinitely after it was discovered players received cash rewards for injuring opponents.
The team has been fined $500,000 but a more serious punishment sees them lose their second round picks in the next two NFL drafts.
More sanctions could follow, but despite some of the players denying bounty schemes existed, Payton has acknowledged them, and apologised for not putting a stop to them.
Statement
"I am sorry for what has happened and as head coach take full responsibility," Payton said in a Saints statement.
"I share and fully support the League's concerns and goals on player safety. It is, and should be paramount. Respecting our great game and the NFL shield is extremely important to me. Our organization will implement all necessary protections and protocols, and I will be more vigilant going forward.
"Finally, I want to thank Mr. Benson, our players and all Saints fans for their overwhelming support.
The winning coach of the 2010 Super Bowl will be a huge loss to the Saints when he is forced to stop working on April 1, with Payton having a huge say on how the team is run.
Payton has a huge say on player comings and goings, but also crucially called the plays on one of the NFL's best offences, and his relationship with quarterback Drew Brees has been the cornerstone of their recent success.
Records
Brees broke Dan Marino's passing yards record last season and is one of the most dangerous triggermen around, but now the Saints must find a way of him continuing that form without Payton, who could lose as much as $6 million in wages.
With assistant head coach Joe Vitt also suspended for the first six games, the Saints have a real problem in naming a replacement for Payton.
The choice seems to be between offensive co-ordinator Pete Carmichael and new defensive co-ordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has head coaching experience with his previous team St Louis.
Whilst the team has apologised for their actions, former cornerback Tracy Porter, mindful that there could still be some punishment coming the way of the players, has chosen to deny the bounty scheme ever existed.
"It's something the league felt they had evidence on, but, I mean, the thing that I will say about it is, I mean the whole label of bounty is absurd," Porter told The Denver Post. "There was definitely no bounty on any player out there in any game. We were just playing football."
