PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is attending the NFL owners meetings one week before he begins his one-season suspension for his involvement in the team's bounty program.
Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis, who will serve an eight-game suspension later this year for the system that paid Saints players for big hits on targeted players, were at Commissioner Roger Goodell's state of the league address Monday morning. Neither Payton nor Loomis made any comments, but a team spokesman said Payton would speak later this week.
The NFC coaches are scheduled to meet the media Wednesday morning.
Last Friday, Payton apologized for the bounty system, taking "full responsibility" for the program that operated for three years under his watch. His former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, has been suspended indefinitely for overseeing the bounty pool.