While many major corporations are following President Donald Trump’s lead and dialing back their implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is doubling down.
Speaking to the press in the lead up to Super Bowl LIX, Goodell explained that he believes such initiatives made the league better.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Feb. 3 that he had no plans to scale back on diversity programs, after US President Donald Trump called for similar initiatives to be dismantled within the federal government and urged private companies to do the same https://t.co/nnRDjc4aXD pic.twitter.com/c7uOZX8tdX
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) February 4, 2025
“I believe that our diversity efforts have made the NFL better,” he said. “It attracted better talent, we get different backgrounds, people with different perspectives … whether they’re women or men or people of color, we make ourselves stronger and we make ourselves better when we have that. It’s something that I think will have an impact on this league for many, many years.”
Goodell went on to explain that the DEI efforts had not been implemented due to social pressure but because he and others believed “it was the right thing for the National Football League.” He added that the league would also not abandon those practices due to social pressures.
“We’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven ourselves that it does make the NFL better; so we’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League — both on and off the field, as I said previously — and we see that. We see how it’s benefited the National Football League, so I think we’ll continue those efforts,” he added.
Goodell also faced questions about whether or not the league’s officials were fair — and, more specifically, whether they were showing favoritism toward the Kansas City Chiefs.
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"That's a ridiculous theory — for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day, it's something we always have to continue to work on: How do we make our officiating better?"
– Roger Goodell when asked about public perception that referees are favoring the Chiefs pic.twitter.com/uA2YX7FE7s
— NFL on CBS ???? (@NFLonCBS) February 3, 2025
“That’s a ridiculous theory — for anyone who might take it seriously,” Goodell said. “But at the end of the day, it’s something we always have to continue to work on: How do we make our officiating better?”