NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell releases statement ahead of testimony

Good morning Chairwoman Maloney, Ranking Member Comer and Members of the Committee. I am Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the National Football League and I am here today to discuss the NFL’s efforts to promote safe and respectful workplaces, including at the Washington Commanders.

The Commanders are one of 32 NFL clubs, each of which is managed by its ownership and executives and have their own workplaces and policies. Two years ago, the Commanders asked me to recommend independent counsel to address workplace issues and recommend changes to improve the workplace culture. We identified several candidates, and the club selected Beth Wilkinson, a distinguished former federal prosecutor. Approximately six weeks later, the club asked my office to assume oversight of the Wilkinson firm’s work. The Wilkinson firm conducted a comprehensive review of the workplace at the club, interviewing more than 150 witnesses. As a result, we gained a clear understanding of what the workplace had been at the Commanders, how it had begun to change, and what further steps were needed to support our ultimate goal of transforming that workplace to one that is safe and productive for all of its employees.

Let me start by expressing my gratitude to the men and women who shared their experiences during the investigation, and to Beth Wilkinson and her team, who did their work with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism. It required substantial courage for many to relive their painful experiences and tell their individual stories. No one should experience workplaces like the one they described, especially not in the National Football League. I can say to every victim unequivocally that their willingness to come forward has contributed to a substantially improved workplace.

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