Still work to do says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as old problems resurface

The previous two Super Bowls in Tampa and Los Angeles were both impacted to some degree by the pandemic with Goodell holding last year's state of the league media briefing outdoors as a precaution.

The commissioner was back indoors on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's title clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles and he did not field a single COVID-related question. Instead, he was grilled about the league's painfully slow progress when it comes to inclusion and diversity, particularly among head coaches.

The league's commitment to diversity was even challenged by an employee of NFL Media, who pressed the commissioner as to why there is no Black person in senior newsroom management or on the news desk.

The NFL introduced its so-called Rooney Rule in 2003, which requires all teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching positions.

In 2021 the rule was expanded, compelling teams to interview at least two minority candidates for open head coaching positions and at least one minority candidate for offensive and defensive coordinator posts, often a stepping stone to the top job.

Last year at Spring meetings, the NFL introduced the 'Accelerator Program,' a new initiative that brought together 60 diverse head coach and general manager prospects with ownership representation from all 32 clubs.

In a league where so many of its star players are Black, including both Super Bowl starting quarterbacks, there are currently just four Black head coaches - long-time Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, along with the Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Todd Bowles, and the Houston Texans' DeMeco Ryans.

During last year's pre-game address, Goodell acknowledged that the NFL had fallen short when it comes to diversity and inclusion. While he stressed progress on that front on Wednesday, he said it was not enough.

"I still feel like there is more work ahead of us," he said. "We always look to see how we can do better. We believe diversity makes us stronger."

Another persistent headache for the NFL are concussions, which jumped 18% during the 2022 regular season after three years of decline.

The league came under intense criticism for its response to a concussion suffered by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (24) in September.

In a game against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa was slammed to the turf and appeared unsteady as he tried to get back to his feet. Despite signs of a possible concussion, the Miami quarterback was allowed to return to the game after passing the league-mandated protocol.

In the Dolphins next game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tagovailoa had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after being sacked.

The two incidents prompted the NFL and players union to adopt enhanced concussion protocols.

"Anytime we can change the protocols to make it safer for our players we're going to do that," assured Goodell. "I think that is part of the reason concussions went up this year because we had a broader definition and more conservative definition.

"If you have more evaluations, you are going to have more concussions," he said.

"There is more work to be done in the area of helmets. We think that is a big area for us to focus on.

"I think the other part of it is rules," he said. "Ultimately you want to take that hit out of the game."

NFL on the way to becoming a global sport

The NFL is well on its way to becoming a global sport, commissioner Goodell also said on Wednesday, and will look to expand its European footprint with more games in Germany.

Already a regular fixture on the British sporting calendar the NFL played its first regular season game in Germany last November with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the Seattle Seahawks at the Allianz Arena, home of Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Such was the interest that the NFL said there was an online queue of more than 800,000 when tickets went on sale and could have sold over 3 million.

The game was the first of four planned for Germany through 2025 and with more to come, hinted Goodell during his annual state of league address ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl.

"When we went to Germany I don't think any of us would have anticipated the reaction we got there for our first game," said Goodell. "We're confident that we are going to continue to be there well beyond the agreement we had a year ago.

"It's moving the ball for us. It shows the incredible support we have over there.

"Our teams loved it, our league loved it and the fans loved it, so you're going to see more games in Germany.

"We want to make NFL football a global sport."

For many fans outside the United States, their only connection with American gridiron is watching the Super Bowl or buying a favourite team jersey and ball cap.

But the NFL has been methodically beefing up its global presence and last year played five games outside the United States - three in London, one in Germany and another in Mexico.

The league has already announced an international series for next season with three games in London and two in Germany with the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots among the teams making trips overseas.

There will be no game in Mexico this season with the Azteca Stadium undergoing renovation for the 2026 World Cup, but when completed, Goodell vowed on Wednesday the NFL would be back.

There are also indications that the NFL is preparing to explore new markets.

Last year the league introduced the International Home Marketing Area (IHMA) program, which sees teams secure international marketing rights in countries beyond the United States.

"We'll continue on this path," said Goodell. "We broke every record around our international games this year whether it was viewership or attendance."

"What our biggest challenge is how do we bottle that (excitement), how do we make NFL football a global sport and we are well on our way."