The players cited by the NFL in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal are expected to face discipline, but the announcement of their punishment could come after the league sanctions executives, coaches and the Saints organization, a source with knowledge of the situation said Saturday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could rule as soon as Monday against Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams -- now the Rams defensive coordinator. Suspensions, fines and the loss of draft picks are all possibilities -- if not probabilities. The league could hold off on announcing punishment for the 22-27 players, possibly because of the sheer volume of players involved. A league official said players will be held culpable since they primarily funded the bounty pool, which, according to the league investigation, rewarded players for big plays and injuring opponents. Source: NFL.com
