NFL denies players' association request for Roger Goodell replacement in Tom Brady appeal
— -- The NFL has rejected a request from the NFL Players Association that commissioner Roger Goodell remove himself from Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension.
The decision was expected after Goodell said Wednesday at the NFL spring meeting that he looked forward to hearing "directly from Tom if there is new information or there is information that can be helpful to us in getting this right." Goodell cited his role as arbitrator as part of a "long-established" process.
At the moment, the NFLPA has denied to comment on the NFL's ruling.
The players' association formally made its request Tuesday, citing "a process that has contained procedural violations of our collective bargaining agreement."
The union called Goodell a "central witness in the appeal hearing," adding that he is not impartial. The NFLPA wanted a neutral party to serve as an arbitrator.
"The players also believe that the Commissioner's history of inconsistently issuing discipline against our players makes him ill-suited to hear this appeal in a fair-minded manner," the NFLPA wrote. "If the NFL believes the Ted Wells report has credibility because it is independent, then the NFL should embrace our request for an independent review."
On Friday's "Outside the Lines" on ESPN, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith was asked by host Bob Ley how likely it would be that the union would go to the courts before the appeal in an attempt to block Goodell, and Smith didn't tip his hand.
"It's our job to make decisions about process that are in the best interest of the client," Smith said.
Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for his role in the use of underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game.
The New England Patriots also were fined $1 million and stripped of two picks -- a first-rounder in the 2016 draft and a fourth-rounder in the 2017 draft. The team has said it will not appeal the penalties.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and Patriots reporter Mike Reiss contributed to this report.
