NFLPA president wants to take player discipline ‘out of Roger Goodell’s hands’

Eric Winston, president of the NFL Players Association, said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should no longer have the power to discipline players.

Winston made the comments during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett. When asked whether Goodell should even keep his job, he responded with the suggestion to shift disciplinary responsibilities.

”There’s an issue with player conduct...And maybe it’s time to take that out of the commissioner’s hands and put it into a neutral arbitration process where there can be a fair process for everybody involved.

Maybe it’s a situation where he can discipline guys right out of the gate, maybe he can’t. But I think that’s something that needs to be explored and needs to be looked into.”

Speaking on behalf of the players, Winston stressed the importance of a player’s ability to appeal his suspension. But right now, that pertains most importantly to former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was suspended indefinitely from the league following the release of video evidence of him knocking his then-fiancee unconscious.

Winston said that Rice, who is planning to appeal his suspension from the NFL, deserves a second chance to play again. He would not say, though, whether or not Rice’s original two-game suspension was fair.