Sean Payton Goes off on Bounty Gate Punishment After James Harrison Hints Mike Tomlin Paid Money for Big Hits

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison made some eyebrow-raising comments recently when he suggested Mike Tomlin handed him an envelope following a 2010 hit that resulted in a $75,000 fine. He made the comments on a Barstool Sports podcast and it is hard to believe he would make that up out of nowhere.

His comments raise plenty of questions and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is livid. He was famously suspended for the 2012 season in the "Bountygate" scandal, even though defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was the primary coach accused of running the scheme. Payton told a radio station in Baltimore he doesn't expect the NFL to investigate Harrison's comments.

“I would be shocked,” Payton told Barstool. “That’ll be something that’s tucked away 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.”

The Saints coach mentioned the millions he lost from his suspension and how Tomlin likely won't face any repercussions, even though Harrison has no reason to purposely throw his old coach under the bus.

It remains to be seen if the NFL actually conducts an investigation. If not, Payton has a right to be angry if there is a selective process in place when it comes to discipline.