NFL: Terrell Davis feels commissioner Roger Goodell should not be forced out

Former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis has jumped to the defence of embattled NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

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The Super Bowl XXXII MVP was discussing the recent scandals involving star players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson which have rocked the league while at a coaching session for London school kids put on by the Oakland Raiders.

Goodell has been heavily criticised for handing Ray Rice only a two-game suspension for punching his wife unconscious in an Atlantic City elevator.

Rice has since been punished more heavily, when fresh video evidence became available, being suspended indefinitely and released by the Baltimore Ravens.

Peterson is also currently sidelined by the Minnesota Vikings, as is Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy over other domestic abuse cases, Peterson's involving his young child.

“I disagree with that,” Davis said, when asked if Goodell should resign. “The emotions are high. A lot of it is based off what they are seeing right now.

“The NFL is not a perfect league. The commissioner has done a pretty good job of making sure that some of the issues they are having rear their head again.

“It has been a rough couple of weeks but I think the NFL is bouncing back and they are setting up protocols that if issues like these crop up again, there will a system in place to deal with that.

“He (Goodell) admitted to the world that he made a mistake and that is all you can ask somebody to do – recognise that they didn’t deal with the situation the way they should have.

Difficult

“The commissioner has been instrumental in this league of accelerating the growth of the sport so to call for his resignation is very unfair.”

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Raiders offensive lineman Kevin Boothe admitted there was sympathy for the tough position Goodell had been put in.

“He is doing everything that he can in difficult circumstances,” Boothe said. “I don’t know if there a right answer to all the issues so he is doing the best that he can.

“There are a lot of good guys and a lot of good things going on in the NFL.

“We have to try to keep focusing on the things on the guys that do good things because the NFL does a lot of good things on a daily basis.

“It’s unfortunate that things like that make the news but we understand the circumstances and the severity of it."

And defensive end Justin Tuck added: “There are different expectations as far as what you are expected to do.

“You are expected to behave and carry yourself in a different manner. So we all know what those rules are, we all understand that and it is a part of the calling as far as being part of the NFL."