Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2021 season for his role in the Saints bounty scandal.
Sean Payton has been suspended for the entire 2021 season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The suspension is due to Payton’s role in the Saints bounty scandal, which has come back into the spotlight following a new documentary by Netflix. This is how Sean Payton got suspended and why he isn’t coaching during the upcoming season.
What is a bounty?
A bounty is money that players on a team put up to reward each other for injuring or knocking out an opposing player. These are typically placed on star players, such as quarterbacks or wide receivers, who are key to their team’s success. This practice was banned by the NFL in 2011 and led to several suspensions of coaches and players.
What happened with Sean Payton?
In March 2011, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that he would be suspending Sean Payton for one year after it was discovered that he had been involved in a bounty program while head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Payton denied any knowledge of his team’s program but did admit to being aware of bounties being placed on opposing players during his time as defensive coordinator with Dallas Cowboys from 2003-2005.
“He has acknowledged that his participation in this activity was wrong and accepts full responsibility,” Goodell said at a press conference announcing Payton’s suspension.
“He will not be involved in any football activities at all until after this one-year suspension is completed.”
“He will be eligible to return next year,” Goodell added.
“This is not what you want your head coach doing.”
“I do believe that Coach Payton had an obligation, when he saw bounties being placed on players, to make sure they were stopped immediately.”
