Payton was suspended for entire NFL season years | Sports News

Sean Payton is on the verge of main the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl look since their 2015 championship victory, with solely the New England Patriots blocking their path. On Sunday afternoon, the Broncos will tackle the Patriots at Mile High within the AFC Championship recreation, with a coveted spot within the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara hanging within the steadiness.

The winner will sq. off towards both the Seattle Seahawks or the Los Angeles Rams. If Denver secures their Super Bowl berth, it should mark a outstanding accomplishment, notably contemplating they’re going to have achieved it with out their beginning quarterback Bo Nix.

After Nix suffered a damaged bone in his proper ankle during the AFC Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills, Payton has handed the reins to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham — who’s married to an ex-college athlete whose father manages NBA and NHL groups — the Broncos’ most important recreation of the 2025 season. A victory over New England would additionally mark Payton’s first Super Bowl return for the reason that 2009 season, when he captured the Vince Lombardi trophy as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Before accepting the Denver place in 2023, the 62-year-old spent 15 years on the helm in New Orleans. It would have 16 seasons, however Payton was sidelined for the entire 2012 marketing campaign — simply two years after the Saints’ Super Bowl conquer the Indianapolis Colts in Miami.

In 2012, the NFL suspended Payton for a yr with out pay after the league’s investigation concluded that the Saints had carried out a bounty program that rewarded gamers for injuring opponents between 2009 and 2011. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who managed the funds to gamers, supplied $1,500 for a knockout hit and $1,000 for a cart-off, in line with the NFL’s findings

Williams was additionally suspended for the 2012 season. The funds would reportedly double and even triple during the staff’s three playoff appearances within the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. The Saints confronted quarterbacks Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Stafford, and Alex Smith throughout their trio of postseason berths.

The allegations associated to what was later dubbed as ‘Bountygate’ started following the Saints’ defensive performances towards Warner and Favre on their strategy to their Super Bowl victory. During their video games towards the Arizona Cardinals (Warner) and Minnesota Vikings (Favre) within the 2009 postseason, the veteran quarterbacks had been closely focused by the Saints protection.

During the 2009 NFC Divisional, Warner was blindsided by Saints defensive finish Bobby McCray after throwing an interception, with the Cardinals quarterback left writhing in ache on the turf of the Superdome. The Saints went on to win the sport 45-14. In the NFC Championship recreation the next week, Favre was on the receiving finish of a number of brutal late hits by the Saints protection. McCray was as soon as again accountable for a late hit, taking down Favre after he had handed off the ball to Percy Harvin in an end-around.

Other quarterbacks who had been focused with bounties included Cam Newton, who confronted the Saints twice in 2011, and Aaron Rodgers, who additionally performed towards them that yr. Due to the suspension, enforced after the league decided that Payton knew in regards to the bounty program and didn’t stop it, Payton sat out the 2012 season, forfeiting over $7 million. The Saints had been slapped with a $500,000 high quality and misplaced two second-round draft picks.

“We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said when asserting the suspensions of Payton and Williams.

“We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.”

Payton returned to teaching in 2013. From 2013 by means of 2021, following his reinstatement, he coached the Saints, main New Orleans back to the NFC Championship recreation in 2018.

However, the Saints fell to the Los Angeles Rams in a match that witnessed an neglected go interference penalty on receiver Tommylee Lewis from Nickell Robey-Coleman late within the fourth quarter. It halted a drive on third down, forcing Payton’s staff to settle for a discipline purpose.

The Rams struck back on the following drive with their own discipline purpose, pushing the sport into time beyond regulation on the Superdome. Then, kicker Greg Zuerlein crushed New Orleans’ best shot at reaching the Super Bowl since 2009 by booting a 57-yard discipline purpose, propelling Los Angeles to Super Bowl LIII.

Following the 2021 season, he selected to step away from teaching after asserting his retirement, solely to reverse that call in January 2023 with the Broncos.

To secure Payton, who was nonetheless underneath contract with New Orleans by means of the 2024 season, Denver traded a 2023 first-round choose and a 2024 second-round choose to the Saints, receiving Payton and a 2024 third-round choose in return.