Roger Goodell Admits to NFL Officiating Concerns

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Will Chesanek | Last updated Apr 2, 2026 4:13 PM ET

Roger Goodell and the National Football League continue to dominate the American sports media landscape. The 2026 Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots was the second-ranked television event in United States history. Goodell attended the event, appearing unfazed when he handed the trophy to Seahawks chair Jody Allen and head coach Mike Macdonald.

Goodell has made major changes to the league since being named NFL commissioner in 2006. From turning the NFL Draft into a three-day extravaganza starting in 2010, allowing for legalized sports gambling on the league in 2018 and adding a 17th game to the regular season in 2021, he has made a notable impact.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A consistent issue for fans of all American sports seems to be referees, but the discussion of officials always appears heightened when it comes to the NFL. While at the Super Bowl, Goodell commented on officiating, saying that he was amazed by how good they were. It appears the commissioner is changing his tune ahead of the 2026 regular season.

On Tuesday, both the NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Miller and Goodell were in lockstep when discussing officiating issues. At the NFL's annual meeting, Miller told reporters, “This is an opportunity for us to improve the state of our officiating.” At the same event, Goodell expanded further on the NFL's prioritization of improving officiating.

“Our No. 1 objective is to improve officiating,” said Goodell. “We think we owe that to the game, we think we owe it to our players, coaches, and our fans. So, that’s what we’re focused on."