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NFL Hall of Fame Brett Favre Was once the target of the New Orleans Saints’ bounty hunting program and opened up about the experience 15 years later on X Friday’s clues.
In 2009, the Saints offered players cash incentives to injure certain players. Favre, quarterback minnesota vikings At the time, it was on that list.
The Vikings were considered the NFC’s biggest obstacle to the Saints reaching the Super Bowl that year.
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Brett Favre got help on the court after injury. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Saints beat Favre, Vikings NFC Championship Game That year, it was a 31-28 overtime thriller. Favre was never injured, but he took multiple punts and eventually threw a costly interception in overtime.
Favre said he was not “sick” about the scandal and hoped he would play better in the game.
“I prepare for games with a mindset for anything: big hits, injuries and guys trying to knock off the opening. I never made excuses for the times I didn’t succeed and played the game with the rule sheet in mind, and losing just wanted to I work harder and have the motivation to win next time,” Favre wrote.
“I don’t have anything bad to say about the guys involved in the bounty gate. I was rooting for Drew Brees and Sean Payton after we lost to the Saints.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre throws to Chicago Bears’ Julius O’Brien at TCF Bank Stadium on December 20, 2010 in Minneapolis. Pass intercepted by Julius’ Julius Peppers. (Reuters/Eric Miller)
The Saints won the Super Bowl that year against the Indianapolis Colts.
But once the scandal was discovered, the Saints received the harshest sanctions in NFL history. Former head coach Sean Payton was suspended for one year without pay.
Defensive coordinator Greg Williams, identified as the brains of the program, was suspended indefinitely but was later reinstated. Former general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season, and assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of the year.
Former Saints players Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma were all suspended for their roles.
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New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton watches the game on the sideline. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)
The Saints also must pay a $500,000 fine and forfeit their second-round draft picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts
The league’s investigation found that the team’s bounty hunting scheme involved as many as 27 players and at least one assistant coach. Players even contribute to the cash pool.
A player’s “elimination” is $1,500 when the targeted player is unable to return to the game and $1,000 for “vanage” when a player must be removed.
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