NEW ORLEANS — Suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma fi led a defamation lawsuit Thursday against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming the league’s top executive made false statements that tarnished Vilma’s reputation and hindered his ability to earn a living playing football.

The suit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans claims Goodell, “relied on, at best, hearsay, circumstantial evidence and lies” in making comments about Vilma while discussing the NFL’s bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints.

Goodell has said Vilma was a leader of the team’s bounty program that put up thousands of dollars for hits which took out opposing teams’ star players from 2009-11, including $10,000 each on then-Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner and then-Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre during the playoffs in 2010.