Saints coach, GM issue an apology
Sean Peyton and Mickey Loomis took full responsibility for bounties on opponents.
Almost a week after the NFL pointed to them for failing to stop a bounty program involving two dozen Saints players, coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis apologized and took the blame for violations that "happened under our watch."
"These are serious violations and we understand the negative impact it has had on our game," Payton and Loomis added. "Both of us have made it clear within our organization that this will never happen again and make that same promise to the NFL and most importantly to all of our fans," Payton and Loomis said in a joint statement Tuesday.
Payton and Loomis also said New Orleans owner Tom Benson "had nothing to do" with the bounty pool.
"We acknowledge that the violations disclosed by the NFL during their investigation of our club happened under our watch. We take full responsibility," they said.
The league's investigation, released Friday, said the bounty program was funded primarily by players for the last three seasons and was overseen by former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. He admitted to running the program and apologized within hours after the report surfaced.
The NFL said it confirmed that Benson was unaware of the program and that he told Loomis to stop it immediately, but that Loomis did not. The league also said Payton, though not directly involved, was aware of the bounty pool but did nothing to stop it.
Williams now is defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. He met with NFL security officials Monday as part of the league's investigation.
Once it concludes - the league says there is no timetable - Roger Goodell likely will hand out the stiffest penalties of his 51/2 years as commissioner.
Goodell has taken a hard line on any action that threatens player safety. He suspended Detroit's Ndamukong Suh for two games for stomping on an opponent last season; banned Pittsburgh's James Harrison for one game after a series of flagrant hits that culminated in a collision with Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy's helmet; and has ramped up the amount of fines for what the league terms "egregious hits."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said that before handing out any penalties, Goodell will review the information with his staff and consult with others, including the union and player leaders.
The players' union has not seen a full report of the investigation, so it can't be certain if Goodell will levy punishment under the on-field discipline or personal conduct policy.