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As National Football Post staffer Brad Biggs suggested this morning, the NFL took the bounty program run for three seasons in New Orleans seriously.

And the Saints franchise will pay dearly.

Gregg Williams, the defensive coordinator who masterminded the operation, has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL. He can apply for reinstatement after one year. That means the St. Louis Rams will need a new coordinator this season.

But the Saints have truly been left in a serious bind. In fact, it's unprecedented.

Sean Payton, the head coach, has been suspended for the entire season. Mickey Loomis, the general manager, has been suspended for eight games. The Saints will lose their second-round draft pick this year and in 2013. The club has been fined $500,000. Additionally, linebackers coach Joe Vitt, who is also an assistant head coach, has been suspended for six games.

Payton's suspension is effective April 1. Williams' is effective immediately. Loomis and Vitt will begin their punishment when the regular season begins.

The NFL announced March 2 that an investigation revealed the Saints had a program that rewarded defensive players for big hits on opponents. Williams apologized for his role in the system and Payton and Loomis issued a joint statement admitting their remorse.

For the record, the league announced there is no evidence that Saints ownership had any knowledge of the pay-for-performance or bounty program. Ownership made clear that it disapproved of the program, gave prompt and clear direction that it stop and gave full and immediate cooperation to league investigators.

Payton was shocked to find out today that he has been banished from the NFL for the entire 2012 season.

FOXSports insider Jay Glazer said on NFL Network that he interviewed Payton immediately after the news came down and [commissioner Roger] Goodell's punishment is far more severe than Payton was expecting.

"I did talk to him and he's stunned to say the least," Glazer said. "I think the entire team thought maybe there'd be a four-game suspension, but not a year. I said, 'Are you OK?' And he said, 'No, I'm not OK.' He is stunned. He's going to lose about $8 million. He is beside himself here."

He probably shouldn't be.

If you read through the full statement released by the NFL, it's not hard to see that Payton lied to the commissioner.

Of prime interest is the following:

"When interviewed in 2012, Sean Payton claimed to be entirely unaware of the program, a claim contradicted by others," the statement reads. "Further, prior to the Saints' opening game in 2011, coach Payton received an email from a close associate that stated in part, 'PS Greg Williams put me down for $5000 on Rogers (sic).' When shown the email during the course of the investigation, coach Payton stated that it referred to a 'bounty' on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers."

"In early 2010, Mr. Loomis advised coach Payton that the league office was investigating allegations concerning a bounty program. Coach Payton said that he met with his top two defensive assistants, coach Williams and coach Vitt, in advance of the interview with league investigators and told them, 'Let's make sure our ducks are in a row.' Remarkably, coach Payton claimed that he never inquired of coach Williams and coach Vitt as to what happened in the interviews, never asked them if a 'pay-for-performance' or bounty program was in fact in place, and never gave any instructions to discontinue such a program."

Goodell confirmed the sentiment a short time ago. Asked by NFL Network host Rich Eisen if he felt Payton lied to him, Goodell replied, "Clearly."

It would appear Drew Brees neither read the league's statement nor saw Goodell on television before jumping on Twitter to express his disbelief at the punishment.

“I am speechless,” Brees wrote. “Sean Payton is a great man, coach, and mentor. The best there is. I need to hear an explanation for this punishment.”

The explanation is there. The question seems to be whether Brees -- who has gone out of his way to distance himself from the whole affair (and not with much credibility) -- really wants to know?

The bigger question?

How will the entire situation affects Brees going forward?

Brees is a free agent tagged with the exclusive franchise tender, which means he’s not under contract with the Saints but isn’t allowed to negotiate a contract with any other team either. As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith notes, Brees was already reluctant to sign the exclusive tender offer and he’s surely going to be even more reluctant now that his beloved head coach won’t be there.

If this makes Brees less willing to sign with the Saints, then the news is only getting worse in New Orleans.

Meanwhile, Glazer reports that Payton's plan for the four-game suspension he had braced himself for was to have Vitt take over as interim head coach while Payton served the suspension. But that plan is now out the window because Vitt has been suspended six games.

According to Smith, the Saints may now have either offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael or former Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who was slated to replace Williams as defensive coordinator, step in as the head coach.

Whatever the case, the Saints will have to assess the situation and determine what direction they will need to go in 2012.

As for the rest of the league?

As PFT's Mike Florio suggested, the significant penalties were so stiff for a reason. Goodell wants to be sure this never happens again.

"We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game," Goodell said in the league-issued release. "We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised."

"A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious," Goodell added. "When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game. ...

"Let me be clear. There is no place in the NFL for deliberately seeking to injure another player, let alone offering a reward for doing so. Any form of bounty is incompatible with our commitment to create a culture of sportsmanship, fairness, and safety. Programs of this kind have no place in our game and we are determined that bounties will no longer be a part of the NFL."

And going forward, Goodell has ordered the owners of all 32 NFL teams to make sure their clubs are not offering bounties like the New Orleans Saints did. Goodell's memo instructs each team's principal owner and head coach to certify in writing by March 30 that no pay-for-performance system exists.

Stay tuned. The ramifications for the Saints are huge. And they're no inconsequential for the Rams. And it's safe to assume individual players will also be sanctioned at some point. I'll be following up as needed throughout the offseason.