NEW ORLEANS — NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp could face trouble for publicly naming former Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey as the whistle-blower in the NFL’s investigation into the Saints’ bounty program, FOX Sports reported.
As the league issued a slew of sanctions over the team’s pay-for-performance system Wednesday, Sapp wrote on Twitter he “just heard who the snitch was.“
When a follower asked if it was Shockey, the former defensive lineman responded, “BINGO!“
The allegations, which might have violated federal labor laws, drew a swift rebuke from Shockey on his Twitter account. “My a–!!” the tight end wrote. “I don’t even play defense.“
Sapp responded, “That’s not the issue.“
Sapp also discussed the matter Wednesday on air on NFL Network.
Shockey, who played for the Saints from 2008-10, said the next thing he will be blamed for is the unsolved disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa and the recent scandal at the University of Miami, where players at Shockey’s alma mater allegedly received impermissible benefits.
“[Expletive] them,” Shockey wrote. “Sapp … [knows] where to find me.“
Shockey posted a text message exchange between him and Saints coach Sean Payton, which if true, says that Payton does not think Shockey is responsible.
In announcing its punishments, the NFL said the Saints, under former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, had an active bounty program from 2009 to 2011.
The determination led to a one-year suspension of Payton, a suspension of indefinite length against Williams, who was recently hired by the St. Louis Rams, and other suspensions and loss of draft picks.
The league did not release what sparked the investigation.
Federal labor law protects employees against retribution as result of complaining about unsafe work environments.
The fact that Sapp might have outed a whistle-blower could pose a problem for the analyst and the NFL, according to Los Angeles-based employment lawyer Arthur Whang, the principal of Whang Law Firm.
“Sapp is technically a league employee,” Whang said. “If Shockey is the whistle-blower, he is protected. So, by outing him, Sapp may have opened Shockey up to retaliation, such as someone not signing him.“
Shockey, who played last season in Carolina, is an unrestricted free agent. He reportedly had interest in returning to the Giants, but the team was not interested.
The reports started a Twitter exchange between Shockey and former teammate Amani Toomer, who called Shockey a “bad teammate, worse person.”
“Shockey might be able to claim in a retaliation lawsuit that he was a protected employee and he blew the whistle, but then the league retaliated against him by releasing his identity to the world,” Whang said. “That, in turn, opened him up to all kinds of damages, like ridicule and his ability to sign with a new team.“