Roger Goodell talks 18-game season, officiating, international Super Bowl, morenews24

SPORTS

February 4, 2025

NEW ORLEANS — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with reporters on Monday in his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference, touching on a wide range of issues on and off the field ahead of Sunday’s Chiefs-Eagles showdown.

The NFL’s biggest event takes place in a city still reeling from tragedy, as 14 people were killed in the early hours of New Year’s Day when a truck drove through Bourbon Street. A makeshift memorial shrine now sits at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal streets, blocks from where fans will celebrate all week long. Goodell said the NFL understands its place in helping our country lift communities and help them through difficult times, as it did when the Saints won a Super Bowl in the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina almost two decades ago.

“I think it’s an understanding of our place in society, frankly. I think that’s evolved over a period of time, where people expect the NFL to respond in a positive way, and to take that opportunity, to obviously observe the tragedy and mourn that, but also to be able to share a moment, to sort of inspire people,” Goodell said. “And I think in each tragedy, you see that in those communities where people come together, help one another. And I think when we are able to use our platform in a way where we can show that, we can show the compassion, we can show the first responders, we can show how people are helping one another. Our players are reaching out, our coaches are reaching out. We see all that. I think it’s inspiring.”

Goodell addressed other issues in a 45-minute question-and-answer session with about 125 reporters:

— On any suggestion that the Chiefs benefit from preferential treatment from officials in their bid for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title:

“I think a lot of those theories are things that happen in social media and get a new life. As you say, it’s not your theory, but it’s out there. … I think it reflects a lot of the fans’ passion, and I think it’s also a reminder for us of how important officiating is. I think the men and women that officiate in America are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards.

“It’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously, but at the end of the day, you know, it’s something we always have to continue to work on. How do we make our officiating better at all times? And if you look at the Chiefs’ record, which I think is amazing when people talk about the competitiveness of our league, the Chiefs, with their 15 wins, 15-2 this year, 11 of those 15 games were within one score. And I think that talks about the competitiveness of our game and the importance of how we officiate it, but also the competitiveness of how we play it.”

[Prepare for the epic Eagles-Chiefs matchup on FOX Sports’ Super Bowl LIX hub]

— On the chance the NFL might someday have an international Super Bowl:

“I do think there’s potential someday we’re going to have an international franchise, and if we do, I think it would not surprise me at all if the Super Bowl follows and is played there. We do like to have it [in a city with a team]. This is a great example of being here in New Orleans. It’s a great thing for the New Orleans Saints to be the host of the Super Bowl, to have the world’s attention, and I think the same would be true if we had an international franchise to be able to play a Super Bowl there to support that franchise.”

— On the potential of expanding to an 18-game regular season in the future:

“We were able to do that when we moved to 17 games back in 2020, and I think it’s in large part because of the safety of our community, the advantages that we made in how we’re training in the offseason, how we’re training in preseason. … The data about safety has been extraordinary. … Concussions are at a historically low level this year. We think that’s a large result of the efforts that have been made, one to improve equipment, but also the changes we make in the rules of the game and also the way we train our players.

“If we do 18 and two (preseason games) might be a possibility, because we know that fans love football. They want more football. But we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart about the balance and how we deal with that. And I think that’s something that I think we’re all interested in focusing on, but it hasn’t begun yet.”

— On implementing better technology for close calls on first downs and the goal line, rather than relying on human judgment:

“We tested, I think in the preseason this past year, on being able to use that technology. It is complicated. Obviously, you have a lot of humanity that interferes potentially with some of that, at least from a camera-angle standpoint. But you know, you also have a shape of ball that is different, and it’s about where the ball is, not where the individual is necessarily. So there are a combination of factors there. But I do think that that technology will exist sometime in the future. We’re continuing a lot with our partners on how to advance that as quickly as possible so we can get to that place.”

— On any potential changes to the league’s emphasis on diversity in light of changes in the political world:

“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the national football game, and we’re going to continue those efforts, because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven ourselves, that it does make the NFL better. So we’re not in this because it’s a trend to get inward or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League, both on and off the field. … We see how it’s benefited the International Football League, and so I think we’ll continue those efforts. I think it’s also clearly a reflection of our fan base and our communities and our players.”

— On the NFL potentially expanding to 16 international games (or one for every team) every season:

“We do think that 16 is something that is realistic. We’re looking to try to get to eight games this year. We may fall short of that, but we think we’ll get close to that. But I see that continuing to progress, giving people a chance to really experience our game firsthand, and when I see what happens when we bring a game to a community like Brazil, the recent [game in] Sao Paulo. That was a great opportunity for them to get that sense of what it’s like to be in our stadium during a game, and to experience it, and the reaction and the spark that it creates is really critical to our efforts. But you need to follow that up with playing the game, with media, with sponsored activity, and getting fans more access to our game. And so, our job is to try to bring more access on a global basis.”

— On the possibility of current or retired NFL players competing in flag football when it debuts in the 2028 Summer Olympics:

“I think that’s an issue for the Olympics. Will NFL players or former NFL players want to participate, represent their country, not just here, but we have a lot of international players who may want to play for their country. And I think that’s a great opportunity. Listen, the Olympics are the greatest international stage, and I think a lot of our players would say, ‘I’d like to play for my country, and that’s something we’ll look into.'”

— On whether the NFL checks with minority candidates to make sure head-coaching interviews are authentic and not just to satisfy the Rooney Rule:

“There have been candidates going back aways where they didn’t feel it was authentic, or what they thought was thorough enough. And so we go back to the clubs and we talk about that. And I think we made changes to our policy to make sure we deal with that. Last year, we put a cap in and how long the interview could be because sometimes they were holding the candidates too long, ultimately, so they’re actually capped at, I think, no more than a three-hour interview.

“So we look at that every year with our committee. We make modifications that we think are helpful. I think slowing down the process last year was a key issue for us because it gave teams more opportunity to be able to be thoughtful and go through an entire process without jumping to opinions. You remember, this is an unusual hiring process, because teams are competing against one another in a very short period of time, and so that’s the balance that we have to draw and make sure that the process is done in a fair way.”

— On how he feels about teams asking for taxpayer assistance in funding new stadiums or stadium upgrades:

“We look at this as what we call public-private partnerships. … I see the economic impact that our teams have in the community, and when you invest in a stadium, either publicly or privately, I think the return is significant to both. … We look to make sure that our public and private partnerships actually benefit all parties. And I think when you look back at those communities that made those investments, I think it’s a positive story. I think our private investment both is the owner of the franchise and also as the league, all 32 teams participate in the financing of the stadium. I think that’s a very positive thing for us in making sure that we find the right balance, find the right formula for each community, and making sure that we reach the right conclusions and have the best facility that will produce those results.”

— On how he would feel about the Commanders returning to Washington, D.C., potentially at the site of old RFK Stadium:

“I think it’s important for the team to play in an area that is beneficial for the fans. It’s going to be beneficial for those communities, and it’s going to be beneficial to the team. I’m also a kid who grew up in Washington, D.C., going to RFK Stadium, and I remember that experience, and I see that stadium site today. I went by when I was down in Washington in December, and frankly, you know, it’s really disappointing. It made me sad to see that area and how the stadium looks today and how that community looks.

“I think a new stadium there can be a huge economic driver. I think it would be great for our nation to be able to see a new stadium there, with the stadium, and with the monuments and the Capitol in the background. I remember that as a kid growing up, the power of that vision and what it means to that community. I think it’s a really powerful thing. So if it turns out that is the best alternative, I think it’d be a great thing.”

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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