Did Ravens Have 'Bounty' On Steelers?

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Did Ravens Have 'Bounty' On Steelers?
23rd October, 2008 - 11:37 am
ESPN - The NFL is looking into whether the Ravens had a "bounty" on Steelers' rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall and receiver Hines Ward when they battled in Week Four.

During the '2 Live Stews' syndicated radio show on Oct. 17, when Baltimore's Terrell Suggs was asked, "Did you all put a bounty out on that young man [Mendenhall]," Suggs replied, "Definitely. The bounty was out on him, and the bounty was out on [Ward] -- we just didn't get him between the whistles."

Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, said the league is looking into the comments.

"That 'bounty' notion is completely against the rules," Anderson said. "To the extent that someone is engaged in that activity, we will look into it and address it. Yes, we've seen the comments, and we're trying to determine the completeness of the circumstances."

Mendenhall sustained a season-ending shoulder injury during the game on a hit by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.


Wednesday, Suggs clarified his comments, explaining that the Ravens were merely planning to keep a close eye on Ward, according to The Baltimore Sun.


"There wasn't any bounty," Suggs said, according to the newspaper. "He [the talk show host] asked me if there was a bounty and I just said I'm going to keep a watch on the guy. He [Ward] broke some guy's jaw last week, and he tried to cheap-shot JJ [Jarret Johnson]. He has also cheap-shotted Ed Reed. We're just going to be on alert the next time we play him."
That 'bounty' notion is completely against the rules. To the extent that someone is engaged in that activity, we will look into it and address it. Yes, we've seen the comments and we're trying to determine the completeness of the circumstances.
-- Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president of football operations

Suggs also on Wednesday clarified comments supporting second-year quarterback Troy Smith as the Ravens' starter rather than rookie Joe Flacco, who currently has the job, according to the Sun.

During his appearance on "2 Live Stews," Suggs said, "Right now, I think [Flacco is] all right. ... But like I said, in the end, Troy should be the starter [because he's] the better man for the job."


Wednesday, Suggs denied saying Smith should start.


"That's not what I said," Suggs explained, according to the Sun. "When he asked me, I said there should be multiple packages. I think both should get a chance to play."

Suggs also said that Flacco and Smith have different strengths -- and that the Ravens should use both to their advantage.

"I think it would better if we had both of them playing," Suggs said, according to the report. "Then again, I ain't no damn offensive coordinator."

Source: Espn