NFL Will Now Investigate Washington Redskins For Bounty Program

On Friday, it was reported that the Washington Redskins, under Gregg Williams, also had a bounty program similar to the Saints', where the Skins would pay out for "kill shots." The NFL is now investigating the matter and focusing on Williams' time with the team between 2004 and 2007.

Joe Gibbs, the head coach during Williams' tenure, has denied knowledge of the program. Some people in the league think it is more than Joe Gibbs being 150 years old and not remembering his second stint with the Redskins. Williams was apparently given considerable freedom to operate the defense.

Several people familiar with the Redskins' case said they found it plausible that the program was operated without Gibbs knowing about it.

Williams was given great leeway to run the defense as he saw fit, some of them said, pointing out that Gibbs did not know in advance when Williams and his players decided to honor safety Sean Taylor by having only 10 defenders on the field for the opening play of a December 2007 game against the Buffalo Bills after Taylor was killed at his home in Florida.

The NFL started its investigation of the Saints in 2010, so it may be a while before Washington gets any closure. "League investigators will seek to determine the facts of the case before drawing any conclusions about potential disciplinary actions, said the source, who declined to speculate about possible penalties." Many players—current and former—don't see the big deal, though. It's just a part of the game that's always been there. Redskins fans likely agree with the sentiment. Paying players extra to perform is kind of Washington's thing.

NFL to Investigate Redskins over bounty allegations [WaPo]