NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: ‘It’s been a tough year’

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media in his yearly state-of-the-league press conference on Friday, stating that he has no plans on resigning.

"It's been a tough year; it has been a tough year for me personally," Goodell said. "We obviously, as an organization, have gone through adversity, but, more importantly, it has been adversity for me. That is something where we take that seriously. We've all done a lot of soul-searching, starting with yours truly."

Goodell added that the league would continue to investigate the deflated balls case that first developed the day after the New England Patriots VS the Indianapolis Colts game two weeks ago. The investigation found that 11 of the 12 game balls used by the Patriots were deflated. He reassured the media that the league has hired "people with uncompromising integrity."

The ongoing investigation will focus on two main areas, which are "why were some footballs used in the game that were not in compliance with the rules" and "was this a result of deliberate action." Ted Wells, the lead investigator, stated that it would take at least a couple of more weeks before the investigation is completed.

Goodell did not discuss whether or not he should take a pay cut for the way he handled the incidents, particular the Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal. The league has been repeatedly criticized for handling that case sloppily. He did, however, say that he would not argue against that decision, which would ultimately be decided by the owners.

Despite being criticized by many, the league's 32 owners have stuck by Goodell's side throughout the season.