Let’s hope nobody was shocked that bounties exist in the NFL. The revelations a few days ago about former Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams paying players for big hits — and sometimes for when an opponent is hurt — might be salacious, but they weren’t exactly a secret in the NFL.
It’s hard to know whether every team had — or has — these bounties, but there’s no doubt players knew that more than a few teams did. Some players say some level of this occurs on other teams. “It’s fun,” one former Redskins offensive player said. Heck, practically every special teams honors a big hit of the week. The Redskins’ staff gives their recipient a big stick to store in his locker that week.
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And when Williams was here, the former offensive player said even he knew of the bounties. Did every coach know — as in head coach Joe Gibbs? He already denied that he did to the Washington Post. The former offensive player couldn’t say for sure, but he did say he would be surprised if the offensive coaches didn’t know about these things.
How bad are bounties? If a coach rewards a player for a big hit with a little extra cash, it might be a salary cap violation, but if it’s for a big, clean hit … well, it is football. The game is violent. Big hits are rewarded — with contracts, exposure and reputations. Are you familiar with ESPN? A huge part of the sport’s popularity is owed to those hits.
But the part that is unacceptable is paying guys if they intentionally hurt a player and even suggesting a price on such plays. This is tough to defend. Even Williams acknowledges wrongdoing.
Williams will pay for his role in this — it could be severe — but should the Redskins? Yes, some players have come out publicly and said the Redskins did this. Matt Bowen wrote in the Chicago Tribune about the topic. But if the NFL can’t prove that Gibbs or owner Dan Snyder condoned these tactics, then a fine is the most the Redskins should receive. Even that is questionable. Williams has been gone four years, after all. The only draft picks Washington should give up this year are to St. Louis.
– John Keim
