Should DC Gregg Williams be hired into the NFL

By: Reese Nasser

Gregg Williams has had a journeyed career in the NFL. It has been full of ups and downs. He has been exiled and brought back in more than once. Williams has had stops all over the NFL; including defensive coordinator jobs with eight different teams.

While Williams has been able to reach the peak of the NFL as he won a superbowl with the New Orleans Saints in 2010, he has also experienced the lowest of lows. From the bountygate scandal to his historic blown defensive play call this past season. Many people believe that Williams should not be allowed back in the NFL. So let’s take a look if he should be accepted back into the league. 

New Orleans Saints Bountygate Scandal

The Bountygate scandal rocked the NFL when it was discovered that the Saints had been encouraging players to attempt to hurt other teams players in exchange for money. The NFL gave the Saints some of the harshest penalties in league history with multiple players being suspended, multiple draft picks taken away, and most notably the year-long suspension of both head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. It was later released that Williams was labeled as the head of the entire plan. Williams was set to become the new defensive coordinator of the St.Louis Rams but ended up never working for them and was eventually fired due to his role in bountygate. The scandal, even though it occurred nearly 10 years ago, is still brought up whenever Williams is discussed. That might be because even in recent years, Williams is still being accused of paying his players to injure others. 

Possible Bounties with other Teams 

Williams was publicly accused of operating similar operations while with other teams. The NFL was made aware of accusations that Williams paid players while he was with the Tennessee Titans, Washington football team, and the Buffalo Bills. Most recently, Williams was accused of coaching players to hit dirty. In 2019, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. stated, “You gotta watch out for the cheap shots and the dirty hits and all the things that he likes to teach.”

Poor Play Calling 

Poor play calling cost Williams his most recent job. He was fired by the New York Jets after a blown call in a week 12 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. With 13 seconds remaining and a 3-point lead, Williams sent an all-out blitz that resulted in quarterback Derek Carr throwing a game winning touchdown. 

Williams was blamed for the loss and met with criticism from not only the media but also the coaching staff and players. The call left people all over the league dumbfounded. It also begged the question: did Williams do it on purpose to help the Jets secure a better draft pick? It still makes you question whether or not Williams is even meant for today’s game. His recent attempts at coaching have all ended poorly. 

The possibility of having a coordinator/coach working in the NFL who is known to have run a bounty program should result in a permanent ban. The NFL preaches player safety but are willing to let people like this work in their league? That is both hypocritical and sending a message to the players that you don’t really care about their protection. When you add to the point that Williams just doesn’t coach a modern game, it doesn’t make sense to have him coaching in this league anyway.