Former NFL star James Harrison made headlines after his admission of receiving payment from Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for laying devastating hits. It seems the story has brought up some past tensions for New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Payton had been suspended for an entire season after the details of “Bountygate” were released. He said during an appearance on 105.7 The Fan that he does not expect the NFL to have that same energy when it comes to investigating Harrison's claims, via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate:
“I would be shocked [if the NFL investigated Harrison’s claims],” Payton said. “That’ll be something that’s tucked away or under the rug at Park Avenue. They’ll look into it briefly. Listen, don’t get me started on that. I lost $6 million in salary, and honestly it was something that I’ll never truly get over because I know how it was handled and how it was run and the reasons behind it. That’s just the truth.”
Payton's comments are indicative of his frustration with the fact that the NFL had determined that he played such a central role in the scandal. Meanwhile, there are coaches in the league allegedly making much more egregious acts of putting bounties on players.
Although the players involved were ultimately cleared of all penalties imposed by commissioner Roger Goodell, the same cannot be said for the coaches. Payton lost out on an entire year's salary and it appears the process of how it came to fruition has obviously left a bad taste in his mouth when it comes to discussion the league's front office.
Although there is no question that the claims made by Harrison are quite serious, Payton is not expecting the NFL to launch an investigation any time soon. After all, their primary focus is on a return to action amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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