Sean Payton was the coach who helped the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl and pull together during Hurricane Katrina.
Following a year-long suspension for his role in the team's bounty scandal, Payton was reinstated on Tuesday by the league and can resume his coaching duties with the Saints. According to ESPN.com, Payton was reinstated after a meeting between the coach and commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday in New Orleans.
"We had a very productive discussion," Goodell said in a statement. "Sean fully complied with all the requirements imposed on him during his suspension. More important, it is clear that Sean understands and accepts his responsibilities as a head coach and the vital role that coaches play in promoting player safety and setting an example for how the game should be played at all levels. We are committed to delivering football that fans love and the safety players deserve. Coach Payton agrees and I look forward to working with him going forward to do that."
Payton is now allowed to start scouting for the draft, including by going to the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala., this week. He is allowed to resume his full duties with the team.
"I am thankful today Commissioner Goodell has granted me reinstatement. As I stated back in March, 'I, along with Mickey Loomis, take full responsibility for all aspects of our football program.' I clearly recognize that mistakes were made, which led to league violations," Payton said in a statement. "Furthermore, I have assured the Commissioner a more diligent protocol will be followed. Lastly, I feel we have learned from our mistakes and are ready to move forward. I want to thank our owner, Mr. [Tom] Benson and all of our great fans for the overwhelming support throughout this past year. I am excited to be back as Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints!"
The whole bounty probe by the NFL began last year when the league found evidence of a program ran by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Four players, including linebacker Jonathan Vilma and Scott Fujita, were suspended by Roger Goodell for their alleged involvement.
The probe also resulted in the suspensions of Payton for a year, as well as general manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games. Vitt led the team in Payton's absence after his suspension was finished. Aaron Kromer started the season as coach for Vitt.
The Saints started the season 0-4 and could not find a way to dig out of the hole, despite winning five of the next six games. The team went 37-11 record from 2009-2011 under Payton and struggled greatly on defense in 2012. All the players went through a range of issues with their suspensions, including getting them overturned by an appeals panel before they were reinstated. The NFL found that the program was a pay scheme that rewarded players for injuring opponents.
The league announced earlier last year that they had obtained a wide range of information detailing a bounty system by the Saints that stretched from the 2009 season to 2011. The report said that up to 27 Saints players were involved and that it was organized and run by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Some of the claims included bounties on quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, as well as cash payouts for injuries and big hits.
The Saints had a difficult season without their primary coaching staff, finishing 7-9 and out of the playoffs. The team was ranked first in passing behind quarterback Drew Brees, but were 25th in rushing and in the bottom of the league on defense, ranked 31st in passing and 32nd in rushing, giving up 147 yards per game.
Payton recently signed a new extension with the team through the 2017 season that will pay him 8 million annually, which should establish him as the NFL's highest-paid coach, a league source told ESPN.
"We are all thankful that Sean Payton has been reinstated. We have a lot of work to do and we are in the middle of it right now," Benson said in a statement. "He is our head coach and we welcome him back. We look forward to a great 2013 season and making another run at a World Championship for our fans!"
Payton is the most successful head coach in team history, bringing the franchise its first Super Bowl. He has gone 62-34 in regular-season games as Saints coach and 5-3 in the postseason. According to ESPN.com, in the three seasons before his suspension, the Saints won 41 regular-season and playoff games combined, more than any other team in the NFL.
With Payton back in the fold, the Saints will be a dangerous team to look out for in 2013. Brees and the rest of the roster will have some added incentive to play better to make up for the 2012 season and there is no doubt that Payton will give his best coaching performance after having to sit out for a full year.
The team missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 2008 and while it can't be completely proven with statistics, it was clear that the Saints suffered without Payton. The team was 13-3 in 2011 and defeated the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in an epic postseason showdown.
Brees was dynamic on offense this season, leading the NFL in yards with 5,177 as well as touchdowns with 43 on the year. He completed over 60 percent of his passes and was the most consistent player for the Saints. He acted as somewhat of an on-field coach without Payton in the fold and next season the quarterback will be able to just focus on the game, rather than dealing with the bounty scandal.
The Saints were greatly distracted by the whole issue, with players coming in and out of their suspensions, as well as having reports ask constant questions about it. It will be a dark mark on the franchise, but now that Payton is reinstated, things have come full circle and the Saints can now move on.
Prediction for 2013: New Orleans Saints go 12-4 and win the NFC South for the second time in three seasons. Playoffs can go either way, but Brees is worth at least one postseason win for the franchise. A definite Super Bowl candidate in 2013.
