Roger Goodell announces plan to overhaul NFL's conduct policies

In his first public speaking appearance in over a week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell again accepted blame for the NFL's mishandling of recent player conduct issues and pledged to enlist outside help to overhaul the league's conduct policies.

"I got it wrong on a number of levels," Goodell reiterated. "But now I will get it right."

Goodell announced a plan to establish a "conduct committee" with a mandate to "re-examine, enhance and improve" the league's conduct policies. He said the league will reach out to the players union, as well as outside experts in law enforcement and social services, for help creating and implementing revised policies. 

All current NFL policies will be re-examined, Goodell stated. "Nothing is off the table."

Goodell acknowledged that his role in the personal conduct policy will also be subject to re-evaluation, perhaps indicating he will give up some of his broad disciplinary powers. 

Goodell said the league's goal is to have a comprehensive set of new policies in place by the Super Bowl.

After a lengthy opening statement, Goodell fielded a number of hardball questions from the press. In typical fashion, Goodell was very measured in his responses.

Goodell said he has not considered resignation and is only focused on doing his job. 

Goodell again insisted the league did not see video of Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancee before issuing a two-game suspension to the former Baltimore Ravens running back. When asked how Rice's description of what transpired in the elevator differed from the video, Goodell said only that Rice's story was "inconsistent" and that an ongoing appeal prevents him from going into further detail. 

Asked if the league is close to losing sponsors as a result of recent events, Goodell said he doesn't believe that to be the case. 

Goodell dismissed the nation that the NFL's strong ties to the law firm that employs Robert Mueller, the man tasked with a conducting an independent investigation into the league's handling of the Rice case, could compromise the integrity of the investigation.