Roger Goodell says no agreement on changing discipline process

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Recent reports have suggested that the NFL and the NFL Players Association were nearing an agreement on a plan to have commissioner Roger Goodell removed from the decision-making process involving player discipline and instead have independent arbiters rule on player misconduct on and off the field.

Goodell said, however, that “we are not close to an agreement, by any stretch of the imagination as it relates to third-party or any individuals making those decisions.”

The commissioner added that he is “not going to negotiate positions publicly. I’ve also been open” to changing the system. “We’ve had discussions about the disciplinary process for decades,” Goodell said.

Goodell also said he is amenable to changing the structure of the disciplinary process.

“We’re always open to that,” he said. “If we can find a better discipline system, let’s do it.”

Under terms of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which was approved in 2011, Goodell is authorized to punish players, team executives and team owners he deems to have broken NFL rules or conduct policy. It is a longstanding policy that has been in place for decades.

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”