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In a memo to all 32 NFL teams announcing the revised punishment from the alleged three-year bounty program run by the New Orleans Saints, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell revealed a significant detail about a 2010 game with Carolina. In a previous memo, Goodell wrote that the Saints had a bounty on Carolina quarterback Cam Newton last season. In a section of this letter, Goodell details how the Saints rewarded defensive players for injuring opponents. He referred to a 2010 game in which the New Orleans defense was commended for three “cart-offs’’ and one player placed on injured reserve. “In that game,’’ Goodell wrote. “Three Carolina players were seriously injured: running backs Jonathan Stewart and Tyrell Sutton, who were literally carted off the field with a head/neck and ankle injury, respectively, and quarterback Matt Moore, who was later placed on injured reserve, unable to return for the remainder of the season, with a torn labrum. These all satisfied (defensive coordinator Gregg) Williams’ definition of cart-offs: ‘big hits that resulted in an opposing player leaving the game due to the hit." The Panthers are on bye this week, so it’s a little difficult to track down people for reaction. But, when the bounty on Newton was first revealed, I can tell you that some high-ranking team officials were not very pleased with the Saints.
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