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Morning Edition

February 3, 2026

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell played it cool Monday on some of football’s hottest controversies, from Epstein-linked owner Steve Tisch to Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub and the Bad Bunny halftime show.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

FOS at the Super Bowl The NFL is crushing it in TV viewership, and Roger Goodell wants to push that reach even further. Read the story [[link removed]]. Mexico City is back on the NFL schedule, with the league committing to games there through 2028. Read the story [[link removed]]. A decade after Super Bowl 50, the NFL has grown bigger, more global, and made billions of dollars. Read the story [[link removed]]. The Patriots built most of their roster through free agency—a rare path to the Super Bowl. Read the story [[link removed]]. Seattle splurges on special team players while New England keeps it lean. See how the two teams compare. Read the story [[link removed]]. Goodell on Epstein-Linked Owner, Belichick Snub, and Bad Bunny [[link removed]]

Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

SAN JOSE — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell grappled with three separate hot-button political issues during his annual Super Bowl press conference Monday, and his approach on each was similar: either the league is not directly involved or will wait to gather more facts before acting.

Most pertinently, Goodell said the NFL will take a measured approach regarding Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, whose name showed up more than 400 times [[link removed]] in released files related to late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

“Absolutely, we will look at all the facts,” Goodell said. “We’ll look at the context of those and try to understand that. We’ll look at how that falls under the [league’s personal conduct] policy. I think we’ll take one step at a time. Let’s get the facts first.”

The commissioner did not say whether Tisch could be subject to league discipline.

“You may be getting ahead of yourself,” the commissioner said in a response to a question about potential disciplinary action.

Similarly, Goodell did not clarify what would even trigger a formal investigation into Tisch.

“I don’t even know the status of all the [Department of Justice’s documents],” he said. “I know that three million documents came out last week. Listen, we’ll continue to follow any of the facts that come up and determine if we open an investigation based on those facts.”

Tisch has acknowledged his presence in the documents and said in a statement that Epstein “was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Belichick Distancing

Regarding a reported snub of former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick [[link removed]] from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Goodell took great pains to distinguish between the league and the football shrine.

“Listen, I’m not even sure whether it’s true,” Goodell said of the exclusion of Belichick. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame is not in any way controlled by the NFL. We have no say in the voting process. We don’t participate in the voting process.”

Goodell, however, made it plain that he believes Belichick is a clear Hall of Famer after winning six Super Bowls as a head coach and two more as a defensive coordinator.

“Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and [owner] Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate,” he said. “They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”

Bad Bunny Support

Just as he did in October [[link removed]], Goodell stood firmly behind the NFL’s selection of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show.

Outcry regarding the upcoming show, however, is now rising again, particularly among political conservatives. Helping reignite the matter is the musician’s pointed remarks [[link removed]] against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Here, too, Goodell stayed out of the political fray, and his ability to remain measured on the most inflammatory topics has been part of what has kept him in the post for nearly 20 years, with potentially more coming [[link removed]].

“Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world. And that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” he said.

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Goodell: NFL Must ‘Make Progress’ After No Black Head Coach Hires [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

SAN JOSE — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league needs to “continue to make progress” on the diversity front after there were no Black head coaches hired this cycle, despite a record-tying 10 vacancies [[link removed]] across the NFL’s 32 teams.

“I think we have become a more diverse league across every platform, including coaching, but we still have more work to do,” Goodell said during his annual state of the league press conference ahead of Super Bowl LX.

The Raiders have not officially hired Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak [[link removed]] yet, but once they do after the Super Bowl, all 32 coaches will be set. The Titans were the only franchise to hire a minority this year, bringing on 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent and has previous head coaching experience with the Jets.

“We have to recognize that we had 10 openings this year,” Goodell said. “The turnover of coaches and general managers in football is pretty extraordinary in our industry, so we have to take that into account.”

There are now four minority head coaches in the NFL, including three Black coaches: the Jets’ Aaron Glenn, Texans’ DeMeco Ryans, and Buccaneers’ Todd Bowles. The Falcons fired Raheem Morris, while the Steelers and Mike Tomlin parted ways. The Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel, who is biracial.

There are four Black GMs in the NFL: the Browns’ Andrew Berry, the Lions’ Brad Holmes, the Bears’ Ryan Poles, and the Falcons’ Ian Cunningham.

Goodell said the Rooney Rule “has been seen as a positive by our clubs, by giving them an opportunity to look at a diverse set of candidates. They make the choice ultimately, but I think it’s shown them the value of that—to look at talent where you might not see it. We’re in a competitive league. Teams are trying to get the coach that they think can win.”

EXCLUSIVE

WNBA Offered No Proposal at Critical CBA Meeting

The WNBA did not present a counterproposal at Monday’s critical in-person CBA meeting with players, instead saying it will begin working on a formal response to the union’s December proposal, Front Office Sports has learned. Read more about the latest on WNBA labor talks in Annie Costabile’s story here [[link removed]].

What Else We’re Watching MLB clubs are cutting ties with Main Street Sports, leaving the league to take broadcasting into its own hands. Read the story [[link removed]]. Bad Bunny used his Grammys stage to call out ICE, just days before headlining the Super Bowl. Read the story [[link removed]]. The WBC’s biggest storyline isn’t on the field right now, as insurance disputes sideline top players. Read the story [[link removed]].

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Three-time Olympic medalist and League One Volleyball (LOVB) athlete Kelsey Cook is joining the conversation [[link removed]] this Saturday.

Other speakers include Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end and Walter Payton Man of the Year Arik Armstead; Leslie Osborne, owner of Bay FC and LOVB San Francisco, and former USWNT athlete; Dr. Harsh K. Trivedi, president and CEO of Sheppard Pratt; and Dr. Amber Cargill, director of player wellness at the NFLPA.

Just one day before the Big Game—Future of Sports: The Mental Edge, presented by Sheppard Pratt [[link removed]], will convene leaders from across sports, media, and mental health for brunch and thought leadership programming, designed to explore the evolving dynamics of mental health in professional sports, the growing role of corporate and philanthropic leadership, and how high-profile moments are enhancing mental health conversations on and off the field.

Only a few spots remain– request to attend now [[link removed]].

Editors’ Picks Heat Must Pay Terry Rozier While on Leave [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The Heat had been placing Rozier’s salary into escrow. Group of 6 Leaders May ‘Revisit’ CFP Automatic Qualifier Terms [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Conference officials plan to convene to discuss the revelation, sources tell FOS. Disney Says YouTube Carriage Fight Cost $110M Last Quarter [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]The newly closed deal with the NFL has an estimated $3 billion value. Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Games [[link removed]] Show [[link removed]] Shop [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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