Roger Goodell Could Be Losing Power in New NFL CBA
By Jerry Trotta
For all those NFL fans finding it difficult to embrace the league's proposals under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, well, this reported element of the deal might just make that task a shade easier.
While answering the questions of fans on Twitter, ESPN insider Dan Graziano acknowledged that commissioner Roger Goodell could lose significant power in the new CBA, which would see to it that modifications are made to the league's discipline policy, preventing him from acting as a sole ruler.
Yes, the new CBA would make alterations to the discipline policy that provide for neutral arbitration in most cases. https://t.co/RcqNs7kXkn
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 26, 2020
As things currently stand, Goodell essentially has jurisdiction over the discipline department. These alterations would be genuinely massive news, as the Commissioner has been consistently adamant in his refusal to cede his influence as it pertains to penalizing players.
How many times has Goodell fumbled a settlement just to salvage the NFL's brand and keep talent on the field? The list is endless. Now think about how many instances where he took a minor issue and blew it up in an effort to assert his dominance and appear in control? That list is also interminable.
Attorneys from the NFL and NFLPA are meeting today to discuss the manner in which this offseason will be conducted -- i.e., will "Final League Year" rules (two tags per team, no post-June 1 cuts, etc) apply with a player vote on a new CBA pending. Answers to come.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 26, 2020
Instilling neutral arbitration was simply the only way to go here, and the new CBA appears to be traveling down that boulevard, even if terms have yet to be confirmed.