National Football League

NFL tells union Rice's appeal to be heard by arbitrator, not Goodell

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:45 a.m. ET

foxsports

The NFL has agreed that Ray Rice's appeal will be heard by somebody who isn't Roger Goodell.

In a memo obtained by FOX Sports 1 NFL insider Mike Garafolo, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith informed the players via email on Monday that the NFLPA and the league have exchanged names of arbitrators who could hear the former Baltimore Raven's appeal of his indefinite suspension by the league for assaulting his wife.

In usual NFL practice, the commissioner hears appeals to league discipline. But there is not much that is usual about the Rice case — claims that the NFL knew much earlier about the damning video of Rice knocking out his then-fiancée in an Atlantic City elevator, way before TMZ unleashed it on the public; a report that Goodell did a personal favor for Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti by initially giving Rice a two-game suspension and Goodell changing his mind and suspending Rice indefinitely after the video came out.

"For the first time ever, the league in the Rice Appeal, has agreed to use a neutral arbitrator which is being selected in discussions with the NFLPA," Smith wrote in his email. "The league has submitted names to us, and we have submitted names to the league; we will confer with the league shortly regarding the final choice of an appeals arbitrator."

The union put in its appeal two weeks ago, saying, in part, "the Commissioner and his staff will be essential witnesses in the proceeding and thus cannot serve as impartial arbitrators."

About three weeks ago, Goodell expanded Rice's punishment after TMZ published the knockout video. The league has consistently denied it had access to the video before it went public, but Goodell has acknowledged he and the NFL made mistakes in handling the domestic violence case.