NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell arrives at federal court for a lawsuit over Quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots’ four game suspension on August 31, 2015 in New York City. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman has required NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Brady to be present in court when the NFL and NFL Players Association reconvene their dispute over Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension. Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP
National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell insisted Wednesday he would view it as an “honor” if he ended up presenting next month’s Super Bowl trophy to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
The prospect of Goodell having to hand the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Brady in the event of a Patriots win is one of the most intriguing storylines surrounding the February 5 showpiece in Houston.
Goodell was locked in a bitter legal wrangle with Brady and the Patriots over the “Deflategate” saga, which ended last year in defeat for Brady, who was suspended for four games this season over the affair.
Goodell, however, was adamant on Tuesday when asked if presenting Brady with the title could potentially be awkward.
“Not for a second,” he told Fox Sports Radio’s The Herd.
“Tom Brady is one of the all-time greats. He has been for several years. He’s on the precipice of at least potentially winning his fifth Super Bowl ring.
“He’s an extraordinary player, great performer, and a sure-fire Hall of Famer. So it would be an honor.”
Goodell also played down a reported rift with the Patriots billionaire owner Robert Kraft, who decried the NFL’s handling of “Deflategate” in an interview with the New York Times earlier this month.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if somebody wasn’t unhappy with a decision that you make or where you’re doing it,” Goodell said. “Robert and I can disagree about things. We have a healthy respect for one another, but that’s true with any owner.
“That doesn’t affect my relationship or the fact we work together to try to make the NFL better. That’s the most important thing going for us.
“I can’t agree with everybody at every moment and I shouldn’t. … It’s not personal. It’s professional and it’s to make sure we’re doing everything to protect the great game we have and to promote it.”