NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had his annual State of the League press conference days before Super Bowl LVI.
It is when he addresses critical updates and issues revolving around the league.
Here are the three major themes that resonated from his time with the press.
3. Major Changes Happening
First, the NFL International Series will expand to Germany, playing four games in as many seasons.
The Allianz Arena in Munich will host the first-ever regular-season game in the country, while Frankfurt gets to host two games.
There’s no word on which teams will play, but they will enjoy a massive crowd.
Second, plans for a new Buffalo Bills home turf is underway.
Team owners Kim and Terry Pegula said it would be ideal to have the stadium ready before the 2026 season opens.
Goodell says he’s “encouraged by the progress that’s been made” with local and state negotiations over a new Bills stadium.
“The bottom line is, we’ve got to have a new stadium in Buffalo."
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) February 9, 2022
Improving the current venue at Orchard Park won’t be enough, and it would be better to build a stadium that meets the demands of the team, the city, and the county.
So far, the state’s Empire State Development has released artist renderings on the new field’s look.
Third, the Denver Broncos are finally on sale after a Denver judge ruled that the heir of former Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser Jr. couldn’t own a portion of the franchise due to a right of first refusal.
The Pat Bowlen Trust announced today the beginning of a sale process for the Denver Broncos.
Joe Ellis: “Whoever emerges as the new owner will certainly understand what the team means to our great fans and this community.” pic.twitter.com/ubfPc4TjID
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) February 1, 2022
Aside from having a new head coach in Nathaniel Hackett, the three-time Super Bowl champions will have a new owner, and several groups will bid for the franchise.
Financial experts estimate the deal to be around $4 billion.
2. Goodell Called Out Dan Snyder
The Commissioner had some words to say about Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder’s hiring of an independent investigator to look into the sexual harassment allegations of a former team employee.
On this matter, Goodell commented that it’s hard to see a team investigating itself and would prefer a third-party expert to proceed instead.
He also clarified that the league and Snyder did not make a deal regarding releasing the findings from the original investigation about the franchise.
Roger Goodell reiterates the NFL, not the Washington Commanders, will conduct an investigation of an allegation of misconduct against owner Dan Snyder. "I do not see any way a team can do its own investigation of itself."
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 9, 2022
But while it’s good for him to address this matter, he did it with a whisper because he did not commit to releasing a report for this new investigation.
Likewise, he left the decision to oust Snyder to the other team owners, which might be troublesome given how much influence Snyder has with that group.
1. The League Must Do A Better Job About Diversity
Goodell vented his frustration that the league hasn’t improved on diversity in hiring head coaches.
Brian Flores’ lawsuit added more fuel to the fire, and systematic changes must be made.
It’s not a good look to have only five minority head coaches, especially when a majority of players are African-American.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to all clubs this morning regarding coaching diversity and admitted “the results have been unacceptable.” pic.twitter.com/Hyhwu0mEJY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 5, 2022
For this issue, Goodell said they would review ways to introduce changes to the Rooney Rule to improve hiring practices.
It may take a while before the NFL gets better at giving equal opportunities, but acknowledging that the problem still exists is a good start.
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