Roger Goodell’s days as the NFL’s judge, jury and executioner might be numbered.
NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the league and the union are working on a potential deal that would strip the NFL commissioner of his power to decide off-the-field discipline.
“We’ve been talking about changes to the personal conduct policy since October and have traded proposals,” Smith told the Journal. “We looked at the league’s proposal for neutral arbitration. There is a common ground for us to get something done.”
The NFL, which recently has lost cases against Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady in court after Goodell’s initial rulings, also commented on the new development.
“This is an important area that deserves to be addressed thoughtfully and with full consideration for everyone’s interests — players, clubs and fans,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement, via the Journal. “We are addressing the subject in a serious way and will continue to discuss this directly with the union and not in the media.”
One of the new ideas for off-the-field discipline is to have three lawyers or former judges with football backgrounds serve as neutral arbitrators, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
