Saints’ Coach Sean Payton Talks NFL Ditching Pass Interference Challenge Rule, James Harrison Comments

Prior to the 2019 NFL season, the league implemented a rule that allowed coaches to challenge pass interference calls. This stemming from a missed pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship. Last week, the NFL ditched that rule after one season. 

Arguably the person who was most involved in getting the rule put into place was New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, but now Payton says that the NFL was not ready to implement the rule. 

On Thursday, Payton elaborated on that belief. “I think the theory behind what the league voted on certainly had a chance to be successful,” he said. “But quite honestly we weren’t ready in New York to handle it. And I know that sounds critical, but that’s just a fact. The consistency and the ability to take in the calls and at least come up with a fairly level basis of what we’re gonna interpret that call on. And if we’re not ready there, then we shouldn’t have it.”

Payton, among other NFL coaches, did not like the rule, partially because of how little pass interference calls that went to replay were overturned. Only 13 of 81 of pass interference calls that were challenged were overturned.

Payton did not elaborate much more regarding the NFL’s rule change, but he was rather vocal as it pertains to the comments made by James Harrison when he said he was handed an envelope by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin following Harrison’s hit by Mohamed Massaquoi. 

Payton was suspended a full season following the NFL’s investigation into the Saints and their “bountygate” scandal, saying that the league won’t pay much attention to these comments by Harrison. “That’ll be something that’s tucked away or under the rug at Park Avenue,” he said. “They’ll look into it briefly. Listen, don’t get me started on that. I lost $6 million in salary. And honestly it was something that I’ll never truly get over because I know how it was handled and how it was run and the reasons behind it. And that’s just the truth.”