There will be plenty of NFL off-field news to talk about yet again over the coming week, when Commissioner Roger Goodell is supposed to meet with players’ union leader DeMaurice Smith to discuss how to fix the league’s personal-conduct policy.
It is an issue that is not going away anytime soon.
Another reminder is the pending decision about who will hear ex-Ravens running back Ray Rice’s appeal of his indefinite ban for punching the woman who is now his wife.
How the Ravens handled that case is under scrutiny because of an ESPN report released Friday, the same day Goodell delivered a widely criticized performance at a news conference short on specifics as he emerged from a lengthy silence to take questions about the recent series of domestic violence cases involving NFL players.
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh was asked about that ESPN report after Sunday’s 23-21 victory at Cleveland – and it seems safe to say that won’t be the last time the topic is raised.