Roger Goodell faced a long list of uncomfortable questions at the NFL’s fall ownership meetings in New York. From a controversial medical decision to questions about the New York Giants’ Steve Tisch and the San Francisco 49ers‘ owner Jed York, Goodell had plenty to answer. With scrutiny mounting across multiple fronts, Goodell defended the league’s handling of the issues while insisting that its process has remained in place.
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Roger Goodell said on Jalen Hurts’ situation: “Well, we welcome that. That’s part of our process, so that’s fine. We give the chief or chief medical officers go through the protocols that were followed, so we welcome that. That’s what they do; they go that way.”
The sharpest questions concerned Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, who was diagnosed on October 10 with a superficial blood clot in his calf and played the Jaguars in London the next day. Days later, subsequent updates and joint statements revealed he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli. He was placed on injured reserve on October 17.
The NFLPA has demanded a full investigation, saying it knew of no league review of his care. Goodell also explained that the chief medical officers did their job, and he was more worried about Hurts’ health, but the protocols were followed.
Goodell was also asked about 49ers owner Jed York, who attended the meeting on the day his six-game suspension ended. York was arrested in August in a prostitution sting in East Palestine, Ohio, and later pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors. He voluntarily skipped three games, and the league then suspended him for six games, fining him $500,000.
“We went through a full process, obviously, to understand the facts and the issues,” Roger Goodell said of Jed York, according to reporter Jori Epstein’s X post. “We saw a violation and dealt with it. That concluded. He’ll be back representing the 49ers.”
That comment came as critics note that suspended players lose all their pay while owners simply pay a fine.
Besides these, Goodell addressed the New York Giants‘ co-owner, Steve Tisch, whose name appears in the Epstein documents released by the Department of Justice earlier this year. He has said he never visited Epstein’s island and did not take up his invitations.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell cleared up Steve Tisch’s controversy: “Everything we looked at. But we’re, you know, we understand. I think we’re comfortable with him participating as the Giants suggest. I think we’ll always look to see if there’s any new information. We’ll look at it.”
The commissioner added that the league would continue evaluating any new information that it gets. While the NFL was comfortable with Tisch’s current role, the matter was not necessarily closed to further review.
Beyond the controversies involving league personnel, Goodell even faced questions about the NFL’s upcoming regular-season game in Paris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints. The matchup is set to mark the league’s first regular-season game in France, but recent protests in the city have raised concerns about security.
Football Crave reported on X, “Roger Goodell says the NFL has “no plans” to plans to cancel the Sunday NFL game in Paris despite protests. ‘The protests have been mostly peaceful; we don’t feel our players are in any danger.’”
Goodell expressed confidence in the preparations, while league officials confirmed they were coordinating with French authorities and U.S. officials to strengthen security measures.
Goodell’s appearances before reporters showed the range of challenges confronting the league, from player health and owner accountability to international security. His responses consistently emphasized established procedures, disciplinary decisions, and continued monitoring.
Whether those assurances will satisfy critics remains to be seen, especially as the NFLPA pushes for answers about Hurts’ medical care. For now, Goodell is determined to keep the league moving forward while defending the decisions made under his leadership.