NFL Silent as White House Moves to Slash Crucial TBI Research Funding—What’s Really at Stake?

When Roger Goodell showed up in Washington this past Monday, decked out in the Oval Office spotlight, a curious thing happened behind the scenes. While cameras flashed, ESPN quietly dropped news that the White House is aiming to chop millions from the federal budget dedicated to traumatic brain injury research and education — a serious blow considering how much the NFL talks up its commitment to player safety. Now, knowing the league’s delicate dance around politics, it’s no shock the NFL chose to stay mum when pressed for comment. After all, Goodell’s not about to rock the boat with this administration—especially with a flood of executive orders stirring up the entire business world. Instead, the league seems poised to just quietly pick up the tab for brain injury research themselves, sidestepping federal funding cuts like a pro steering a ship through choppy waters. Trust me, this calculated silence and strategic bankroll shift isn’t about ethics as much as it’s about survival — a well-played, if not cynical, game to keep the NFL’s political voyage smooth, their draft where they want it, and their stadium dreams intact. It’s not exactly the headline-grabbing stance you’d expect, but sometimes winning means knowing when to zip it and steer clear of the icebergs. LEARN MORE.

Commissioner Roger Goodell went to Washington on Monday. While he was standing in the Oval Office, a report emerged from ESPN.com regarding a White House proposal to slash millions from the budget for traumatic brain injury research and education.It’s not difficult to do it, once the decision is made to play the game with the overriding goal of winning. And the rewards include not only the avoidance of overt pressure to dump the Rooney Rule but also a draft in D.C., a stadium in D.C., and four years without holding their breath and waiting for a broadside attack against the league’s interests.In response to an email from PFT, the NFL has declined comment on the development.Speaking out against the potential elimination of federal funding for a cause about which the NFL claims to be passionate would fall into that category.As Goodell’s comments from Monday’s event proved, he’s willing to say all the right things, not say any of the wrong things, swallow his pride in the presence of someone who once called him a “dope,” and chart a course toward open waters and far smoother sailing than the likes of Harvard and multiple major law firms are currently experiencing.

It’s really no surprise. The league seems to be fully committed to achieving peaceful coexistence with the current administration. At a time when a slew of executive orders have various industries scrambling, the NFL is trying to make no sudden moves.It will be far better — and, in the grand scheme of things, cheaper — for the NFL to fund TBI research and education efforts on its own. It’s part of the complex, but not all that complicated, dance in which the NFL must engage to properly navigate the current political waters. Basically, the strategy consists of avoiding the iceberg. And everybody knows what the iceberg is.