5 important notes from Goodell's end-of-season presser
Ahead of Super Bowl LIV, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave his state-of- the-league address Wednesday.
In a 45-minute session, the commissioner spoke on a number of issues facing the NFL in the wake of its 100th season. Here are five notable talking points from Goodell's press conference:
NFL knows Rooney Rule is failing
The Rooney Rule is designed to ensure minority coaches and executives get a fair shot at the top jobs in the NFL. But the policy's effectiveness has consistently been questioned since its inception in 2003, and it came under particular criticism during this year's hiring cycle.
Of the five open head coaching positions following the end of the 2019 season, the only minority candidate who secured a job was Ron Rivera - hired by the Washington Redskins.
Notably, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh - two high-profile minority candidates who are set to face off in Super Bowl LIV - were passed over.
Goodell acknowledged the league must work to improve the Rooney Rule and other diversity policies in order to change the troubling trend.
"Clearly, we are not where we want to be. It's clear we need to change and do something different," said Goodell, per Dan Graziano of ESPN. "There's no reason to expect a different outcome next year without changes."
The lack of diversity in the NFL isn't exclusive to the sideline. New Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who was hired Tuesday, became just the second African-American in his role across the league, joining Chris Grier of the Miami Dolphins.
League concerned about Antonio Brown's well-being
Goodell weighed in on the troubled free-agent wide receiver's situation, stressing the league's top priority is helping him overcome his recent struggles.
"I think the first thing for all of us is to think about the well-being of Antonio (Brown)," he said. "To understand what Antonio is going through. We don't talk about the wellness of our players publically, but I would tell you that you can be assured that the NFL and the NFLPA have a tremendous amount of resources that are available to all players.
"They are going to be made available to Antonio, and we want to help get him on the right track."
Goodell added he's confident the league can do so.
Brown is currently out on bail as he awaits trial for a felony burglary with battery charge. It's the latest in a series of off-field incidents for the star receiver, who played in just one game this season.
The NFL is also investigating accusations of sexual assault and sexual harassment against the 31-year-old.
Investigation into Patriots' taping incident won't be rushed
News of the New England Patriots' videotaping scandal surfaced on Dec. 9. Over seven weeks later, the NFL is still investigating the incident.
Asked why a determination has yet to be made given the video evidence and New England's admission of wrongdoing, Goodell said the league is focused on getting all the facts in a meticulous manner.
"It shouldn't (be relatively open and shut), because our responsibility is to make sure we're being extremely thorough," said Goodell, per Mike Reiss of ESPN. "We have a responsibility to 31 other clubs, we have a responsibility to partners, we have a responsibility to fans to understand all of what happened, and make sure that something that we don't know happened didn't happen."
The Patriots said the videographers, who were filming a team video series called "Do Your Job," were unaware they were violating league rules by filming the Cincinnati Bengals' sideline.
New England reportedly could face a fine in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and potentially the loss or reduction in the value of a draft choice. But it sounds like the league is in no rush to hand down punishment.
Goodell isn't going anywhere soon
Goodell has been in his role atop the NFL hierarchy since 2006. While the commissioner has not always been a popular figure, the 60-year-old has overseen an unprecedented era of growth for the league.
Those hoping to see a changing of the guard following the completion of the league's upcoming labor and TV deals will apparently need to keep waiting.
"One thing I've learned is that your work is never done. There are always things to do," he said, per Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. "I haven't thought about retiring. It's not on my agenda. We have too much to do."
However, Goodell said it's important for the league to form a succession plan.
Updates on NFL's international growth
The NFL will continue to attempt to cement its presence outside the United States in the foreseeable future.
Goodell announced the league will return to play regular-season games in Mexico City in 2020 and 2021. The participants and dates for next season will be confirmed when the 2020 schedule is released in late April.
"We had a great experience this past November down in Mexico," Goodell said, per NFL.com. "It was just a great event and we loved being there. We look forward to being back and we are proud to be able to say we're going to be there for two more games over the next two years."
Goodell also addressed questions on possible expansion into two international cities, Toronto and London.
The commissioner said it "couldn't be farther from the truth" that the NFL has turned the page on a possible franchise in Canada's largest city, per Jon Scott of Spectrum News Buffalo. But Goodell added the biggest issue would be building a stadium in Toronto that met the league's standards.
With Los Angeles off the board, London has become the most speculated destination for NFL expansion. Goodell praised the progress of the international series in the U.K. but said there was no timeline for moving a franchise across the pond.
"Our job is to make sure London continues to grow. ... We have to get back to making sure we can (make a London team succeed) in a competitive way," he said, per Arash Madani of Sportsnet.