NFL coaches, owners expected to address bounties with players

Associated Press

PALM BEACH, Fla.

NFL coaches plan to go right at the league’s most sensitive subject — bounties — when they get together with players next month.

Although a few shied away from commenting at owners meetings this week about the New Orleans Saints’ extra payments, under which players were rewarded for big hits on specific opponents, most coaches said it’s an important subject to address — with the media and with their players.

“The whole league will talk about it,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday.

“The commissioner wants the entire league to make sure it’s discussed — to go forward using it as an example, to stress there is no place for that in our league.”

Last week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season. Goodell also ordered every principal owner and head coach in the league to certify in writing that their team does not have any sort of pay-for-performance system.

Several coaches echoed Coughlin, hoping they only will need to bring it up once with their players. Clubs will gather for workouts in mid-April.

“It’s definitely necessary to mention it,” said Ron Rivera, whose Carolina Panthers play the Saints twice a year in the NFC South. “The precedent has been set by the commissioner and they need to understand that and it is not to be broached again. Going forward, we won’t have to go over these things again.”

Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz stressed how easy it is to cross the line from acceptable rewards to something sinister.

Schwartz said past awards he’s given out while working for the Tennessee Titans and the Lions — baseball bats or a boxing glove for big hits — had league approval, because they didn’t have any monetary significance.

“It was part of the game-ball program. It wasn’t part of anything else,” Schwartz said. “A recognition system has been in effect for football since pee wee ball. We give out game balls. We give out trophies at the end of the season for all different things. A lot of colleges give out stickers.”