Gregg Williams' indefinite suspension will be much more defined in a matter of time.
And even if he's not banned for life, it's hard to imagine another team giving him an opportunity to continue his NFL coaching career, considering the public-relations backlash that would burden the entire franchise.
Williams, who was deemed as the man in charge of the Saints' bounty system, made a world-class error of arrogance before New Orleans' playoff loss to the 49ers in January. Even though the Saints were fully aware of the NFL's investigation into their bounties — which started in 2009 and resumed prior to the 2011 postseason — they allowed a filmmaker to record Williams' pregame speech, which the defensive coordinator used as a forum to direct his players to injure their San Francisco counterparts.
While this stuff isn't completely out of the ordinary in football, the context damns Williams, whose indefinite suspension was originally set to be reevaluated after the 2012 season. Now, with the audio of Williams' tirade serving as a free, uncensored commercial about the nasty side of the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell can't allow such a mockery of his investigation to go without further punishment.
Williams' suspension, along with the others levied to the Saints, were considered overly harsh, yet justified. But Goodell has proven he'll be overly aggressive with disciplinary tactics, particularly when it relates to player safety. And really, if Williams earns a more definitive ban from the league, it's impossible to sympathize with his brazen stupidity to unleash such a rant with an independent documentarian in the room.
Williams has since taken over as the Rams' defensive coordinator, though that has obviously been put on hold for the time being. Yet, if Williams is permitted to return to the sideline, it'd be an epic distraction for the organization as a whole.
The front office and coaching staff, either in St. Louis or elsewhere, would be forced to justify the advantage of Williams' defensive mind against his controversial past. And the players would be subjected to constant questions over potential bounties and the like.
At this point, Williams' string of poor choices led to that fate, and they culminated with his speech. He called for the Saints to hit quarterback Alex Smith in the chin, wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the knee, tight end Vernon Davis in the ankles and to simply hurt running back Kendall Hunter. Williams also shouted to "kill Frank Gore's head," and target wide receiver Kyle Williams due to his concussion history.
While Williams called for the hits on Smith, he reportedly rubbed his fingers together to symbolize a cash payout. It's now up to Goodell to read that as a different hand gesture toward the direction of the NFL shield, and Williams will undoubtedly be handled accordingly.
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