PALM BEACH, Fla. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he has a sense of when he could discipline the 22 to 27 players involved in the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal. However, he said he's still investigating the situation to determine proper punishment.
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Goodell also said at the NFL Annual Meeting that he's awaiting a recommendation from NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith regarding the matter. Goodell hopes the recommendation comes when they speak "later this week."
Fines and suspensions are likely, and Goodell reiterated Wednesday that although he holds coaches and executives to a higher standard -- as proven by the hefty fines and suspensions of current and former Saints coaches and executives -- he is "troubled" by the players' roles.
Goodell said players "enthusiastically embraced" paying for and executing plays that occasionally were intended to injure opponents. He also said the league would be more assertive not to allow cash payments between players for any reason.
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