While seeking the counsel of his former boss and mentor, Bill Parcells, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has broached the idea of Parcells becoming the interim head coach during Payton's suspension for the 2012 season, according to several league sources.

Payton and Parcells have spoken numerous times, sources said, since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced last Wednesday that the Saints coach was being suspended for the year because the league found that the team had engaged in a bounty program that included incentives to injure opposing players.

Payton is contemplating an appeal of his stiff sentence, sources said. His suspension begins April 1 and will end after the Super Bowl.

Goodell says he could let Payton coach while the suspension is being appealed.

"I said in a letter they have to appeal by April 2, I believe," Goodell said Monday at the owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. "If he decides to appeal, I probably will allow him to continue and I would expedite the hearing and I would expedite my decision.

"We did meet twice and went through the information. If he has something else for me to consider, I will."

Payton's agent said Monday "no decisions have been made about an appeal."

Donald Yee said Payton "fully supports the league's player safety goals."

However, under a number of problem-solving scenarios related to his suspension that he has discussed with Parcells, one of those scenarios has gauged Parcells' interest in taking over as interim head coach. Payton served as assistant head coach under Parcells when the two were with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to '05, and has sought his counsel on a regular basis since becoming the Saints coach in 2006.

"Sean Payton and I know each other well, and he has sought my counsel about his situation with the Saints. He has told me a little bit about the team, about the situation they're in, and about the players. But that is it," Parcells told SI.com on Monday.

Asked if he had the bug to return to coaching, Parcells told SI.com, "I don't think so.''

It is uncertain whether Payton has discussed Parcells' candidacy as an interim head coach with Saints owner Tom Benson or general manager Mickey Loomis, who was handed an eight-game suspension.

Payton was unavailable for comment.