Dungy: Peyton Manning’s neck problems could be linked to bounties

Was Peyton Manning the victim of the bounty system of disgraced defensive coordinator Gregg Williams?

Evidently, the genesis of Manning’s chronic neck problems might have been a brutal hit by Washington defensive end Philip Daniels in 2006, who was coached at the time by Williams.

“Just listening to their guys talk, it does sound like it,” former Colts Coach Tony Dungy said Monday on the “Dan Patrick Show.”

“When you see (former Redskins safety) Matt Bowen’s comments and [Philip] Daniels’ comments, that ‘This is what we had done,’ yeah, it makes you think that,” Dungy said.

The NFL last week revealed that the New Orleans Saints had a so-called bounty program, funded by players and at least one assistant coach (who turned out to be Williams), paying cash to defenders who doled out game-ending hits to opposing players.

Later Monday, in an interview with “PFT Live,” Dungy said the revelations of bounties “could really erode public confidence” unless the league takes a firm stance.

Dungy, a former NFL safety, added he’s been aware of bounties for years but “not to put up money to knock guys out of games.”

“There’s always been those little incentive deals and the veteran guys who would be the leaders: ‘Hey, we’re going to put in a pot for the first interception, or the first fumble caused, whoever gets two sacks in this game…’ Those kind of things have happened for years and years.

“But I played on some really tough teams in a tough era and I never heard that type of thing where, ‘Hey, we’re going to put up money to injure guys or knock guys out of the game.’”

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