ATLANTA – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell held his annual press conference at the Super Bowl on Wednesday, where he touched on a variety of league-wide topics.
Here are some of the main takeaways from that session:
1. The Detroit Lions are scheduled to play the Oakland Raiders on the road next season. The problem the Raiders have is they currently don't have a home for the 2019 season. Goodell said Oakland's preference would be to work out a deal that keeps them in the Bay area close to their fans. Either way, the league needs to have a resolution soon. "The sooner the better for us," Goodell said.
2. Goodell fielded a number of questions on the NFC Championship Game and the missed interference call. Goodell said the competition committee will look into instant replay being expanded to cover judgement calls. The tricky thing, Goodell explained, is that coaches and the clubs have resisted in the past to review no-call situations, or essentially having someone in New York throwing flags. It will be a long and thought out conversation, per Goodell.
3. Goodell and the NFL view the China market as a priority market that saw double-digit growth in fans and social engagement this year. There could be some exciting news regarding the China market from the league in the coming months.
4. Goodell said the NFL is still not ready to have a team stationed in England permanently.
5. The league was very happy with the helmet-to-helmet rule implemented this year to take the dangerous helmet hits out of the game. Goodell applauded the players and coaches for making the proper adjustments. There were less than 10 repeat offenders for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits this past season, per Goodell.
View photos of cornerback Darius Slay and long snapper Don Muhlbach during the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) tackles Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II (15) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers New York Jets wide receiver Andre Roberts (12) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers New York Jets wide receiver Andre Roberts (12) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) covers Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach (48) smiles on the sideline during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) on the sideline during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. (Detroit Lions via AP)
6. There have been some suggestions that adding an eighth official to crews would help cut out some of the missed calls, like we saw in the NFC Championship Game. Goodell didn't see that as a viable solution.
7. The forecast in Atlanta Sunday calls for temperatures hovering around 60 degrees with a 30 percent chance of rain. The decision to play the Super Bowl with the Mercedes-Benz Stadium roof open or closed has not been made yet and won't be made until closer to gameday.
8. The league is hoping to get a deeper pool of minority coaching candidates from the Fritz Pollard Alliance moving forward, especially in offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach positions.
9. The Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes-Benz Stadium were pioneers with their fan-friendly pricing on food and beverages within the stadium this past season. Those prices included: $2 soda, $3 pizza and $5 beer. Some other teams have taken notice of their success with such pricing and the commissioner hopes other teams and stadiums around the league adopt the lower-pricing policy.
10. The league and the NFL Players Association continue to have discussions with medical professionals on pain management and the benefits of medical marijuana as a pain manager.
