Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to personally handle the Deshaun Watson appeal hearing. He will not exercise it. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Goodell will not handle the Watson appeal. He will refer the matter to someone outside the league office. We don’t know who he is. A decent guess would be Mary Jo White, given that she has recently handled various “independent investigations” for the NFL, and in light of the fact that she does a very good job of giving her client what they want. Regardless of the specific name of the person retained to handle the Watson objection, the key to getting more such work is to give the customer what they want. Even if the league calls the person “independent,” they really aren’t. They will have some kind of hope for an ongoing business relationship with the league, and that will influence the decision-making process. A separate source with knowledge of the process suggested that the candidate for the appeal will likely be Condolleezza Rice, who is expected to officially become the owner of the Broncos next week. Then again, she wouldn’t really be independent. is to become a stockholder in one of the league’s teams. Her reputation, however, would make it easier for the league to sell the media and fans on the ability to put aside other interests and make the right decision. That said, Rice is an admitted Browns fan. Rice recently commented on the disciplinary process, arguing for the importance of keeping an open mind but acknowledging the serious nature of the matter.
