Sean Payton has returned to work following a 281 day suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty program.

The New Orleans Saints coach watched Senior Bowl practice Wednesday and planned to meet later in the day with the staff to evaluate a defense that struggled.

Payton says the challenges of rebuilding after a losing season will be painful and that his return won't guarantee an immediate return to winning.

Reviewing the season, Payton said, "When you play the way we played defensively, it’s going to be hard to win. When you struggle to run the ball the way we did in the first half of the season, it’s going to be hard to win. We struggled at times in special teams – against the Giants I have no idea how many yards they got in return game – these things keep you from winning games."

He declined to say if he planned any changes to his coaching staff during a 45-minute session with reporters.

Payton revealed that he and Goodell spent over 4 hours meeting on Monday and agreed not to discuss specifics when asked whether there was an organized bounty system.

When asked if he might want to talk with former defensive coordinator, Greg Williams, Payton said, "No, I have no interest in talking to Gregg."

The coach told reporters he never considered moving to another team as his contract with the Saints was being rewritten.

"There was no way I was going to another team," Payton said as he told reporters he had a "fantastic" relationship with GM Mickey Loomis and owner Tom Benson.

"That's (the relationship) what makes the the job special, because that in our industry doesn't exist with all teams." 

Payton added, "there was never any attempts with regards to leverage."