James Harrison's Agent and Steelers Deny Notion of Mike Tomlin Payment

Back in 2010, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined after a violent hit on Cleveland Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Harrison was expected to pay out $75,000 for the play, but on Barstool Sports' "Going Deep" podcast, the now-retired player claimed that head coach Mike Tomlin "handed him an envelope" and implied that it was compensation to pay the fine. With the claim being placed under extreme scrutiny, Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, and the Steelers organization are both pushing back on the declaration.

Parise, who still advises Harrison in an unofficial capacity, stated that if any kind of payment happened, he was never told about it. Team president Art Rooney II said there was "no basis" for Harrison's claims.

If what Harrison said is true, it would effectively serve as a bonus for injuring another player. On its surface, that would be a bounty. That kind of system was punished by the league with extreme prejudice in 2012 when the New Orleans Saints were found to be handing out prize money for big hits.

The NFL has so far not given any indication that it is looking into the situation as of this writing.

Saints head coach Sean Payton, who was among those implicated in "Bountygate" in 2012, voiced some frustration at Harrison's claims and felt that this would be the last we hear about it.

If what Harrison implied is true, it would be a major cause for concern in the league. Parise and Rooney's denials are meaningful, but for now, we only have the word of one man against that of a couple others. There may very well be more shoes to drop.