Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Goodell won’t need long to decide on Saints’ appeals

Chicago Bears v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on prior to the NFL International Series match between Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium on October 23, 2011 in London, England. This is the fifth occasion where a regular season NFL match has been played in London. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Getty Images

No one expects Saints head coach Sean Payton to win the appeal of his yearlong suspension, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t even expect to need much time to think about it.

Goodell told Darren Rovell of CNBC (via Judy Battista of the New York Times) that he expects a decision by the end of the week.

That’s consistent with what Goodell said when asked about Payton’s pending appeal at the league meeting last week: Goodell sounded skeptical that Payton could tell him anything at the appeal that he hadn’t already considered when deciding to suspend Peyton for the entire year, and he said he would expedite any decision on that appeal.

So Payton will get a hearing on Tuesday, and then he may get a day or two to tie up any loose ends -- and perhaps convince Bill Parcells to be his interim replacement -- before his suspension starts. But Goodell will likely inform Payton within a few days that his appeal was unsuccessful, and he’s done coaching in the NFL for the year.