NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reached a decision regarding Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger early Wednesday afternoon. ESPN reports that Roethlisberger will be suspended for four to six games because his previous actions, which elicited sexual assault accusations, violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Goodell’s verdict demonstrates the decision of the NFL to hold its players to a higher standard than the law.
The suspension will include specific conditions, and could possibly be reduced if Roethlisberger complies with evaluators and behaves in accordance with the personal conduct policy.
Although the sentence could be lessened, an NFL source told ESPN that the Steelers have begun to contact other teams, and are trying to find a club willing to give up a top 10 draft pick for Roethlisberger. At this point, there has been at least one team considering the trade.