National Football League

Goodell on NFL in LA: 'We're focused on doing this right'

Published Mar. 25, 2015 3:03 p.m. ET

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Will the NFL ever return to Los Angeles?

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said on Tuesday that he believes the league will have two teams in the nation's second-largest market in time for the 2016 season.

On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell somewhat backed away from such statements.

"We're focused on doing this right," Goodell told a crowd of reporters during a conference at the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona. "If we go back to Los Angeles we want to succeed in the long term."

The San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams have all been rumored to be prime candidates to move to the area. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has designed a stadium in Inglewood that could house two teams, although he wouldn't need a second team to secure financing for the facility.

"We're not focused on '16," Goodell said. "Obviously if it did happen, you'd have to play in a temporary facility. We could not construct a stadium in that time frame.

"Right now we're focused on the process."

Goodell expects to hear back from all three teams sometime in late April before the owners convene again in May for another status report.