Roger Goodell dodges question about 'Concussion' movie

It's probably not the first or last time Roger Goodell is going to be asked if he plans on seeing the new film "Concussion."

When he was asked about it during an interview with Bob Papa and Shannon Sharpe on SiriusXM NFL Radio, the NFL commissioner gave a vague answer, the New York Daily News reported. Instead, Goodell addressed the development of concussion protocol in the league:

"I think we're at 39 rule changes over the last 10 years to make our game safer," Goodell said in the interview. "They've had a dramatic impact on the game. We've seen reductions in concussions (by) 35 percent. We're seeing the rules protect the players from unnecessary injuries, and that's important."

While the timeframe for the reductions in concussions Goodell refered to is unclear, it doesn’t match with the latest stats kept by Frontline. The documentarians behind “League of Denial” have tracked 140 concussions through Week 13 of the 2015 season, putting the league on pace for 183 — the most since they began keeping track in 2012. 

Goodell added there's been a focus on equipment and turf, putting additional padding below the playing surface, and cited the changes made with the concussion protocol, adding ATC spotters and independent neurologists. 

"We still have more to do," he said. "We're not finished."

That doesn't really shed any light on whether or not he plans to view the buzzed-about film — Will Smith just earned a Golden Globe nod for his portrayal of Dr. Bennet Omalu — which shows the efforts by the NFL to silence the research revealing brain damage suffered by football players.

Then again, maybe it's better that Goodell stays mum on this one. He raised eyebrows earlier in the week when he laughed at a "joke" by Roger Staubach about suffering six concussions.