Past Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi took a nasty hit from Steelers linebacker James Harrison. Was it intentional?
The famous “bounty gate” scandal of the New Orleans Saints is the first thing you think of when discussing players getting paid to injure players.
Former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was in the same role with the Saints at the time and ended up being suspended for a full season because of actions that included a hit on quarterback Brett Favre in the playoffs.
This scandal may have never been caught if it wasn’t for a disgruntled Saints employee, Mike Cerullo, blowing the whistle on the Saints after being fired after the 2009 season. After a long and thorough investigation, the NFL concluded there was credible evidence to suggest there was a “bounty” program in place.
James Harrison on his violent hit on Browns WR Mohamed Massaquoi in 2010: "The G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that" https://t.co/zyhNWQePN2
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 14, 2020
Was the same thing happening in Pittsburgh? Recently, comments from former linebacker James Harrison would lead one to believe so. Harrison was recently quoted on Willie Colon’s, “Going Deep” podcast.
"“Listen, on everything I love, on my daddy’s grave, I hit that man with about 50 percent of what I had and I just hit him because I wanted him to let loose of the ball. If i had knew they was gonna fine me $75,000, I would have tried to kill him.”"
Harrison followed up with this quote later in the interview regarding head coach Mike Tomlin.
"“Dude, I’m telling you, 75? And I ain’t gonna lie to you, when that happened, right? the G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that. I ain’t gonna say what, but he handed me an envelope after that.”"
Was this envelope a form of payment from Tomlin to Harrison for knocking Massaquoi out of the game? Or was this money to cover the $75,000 fine the NFL handed out to Harrison?
Either way, there were some lines crossed if money was involved. Truthfully, given the sanctions that were put on the Saints and the focus on safety in the league, bounty programs have likely dissolved. But don’t forget, this hit occurred in the prime of “jacked up”, where every fan was looking for a huge hit.
It’s hard to tell if anything will come of this, but one must ask what Harrison had to gain by sharing? To this point, it feels like nothing, so why lie?
One thing is for certain, Harrison terrorized the Browns for years and was known for his big hits. The NFL should step in to see if there is evidence to support these claims.