10/21/2026 12:44:00
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10/21 12:42 CDT Roger Goodell is comfortable with security for the NFL's Paris
game between the Steelers and Saints
Roger Goodell is comfortable with security for the NFL's Paris game between the
Steelers and Saints
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he has a high
comfort level in the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers safely playing
in Paris on Sunday in light of the civil unrest that could include more
protests this weekend in the capital and elsewhere around France.
Goodell at the end of the annual fall owners meeting said he had spoken with
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that officials are in touch with
Parisian and French authorities.
"We've made all the preparations," Goodell said. "Protests are not unusual in
France, as you know, and that's something that we will be aware of and make
sure that the appropriate arrangements are made."
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in Versailles that the team's plans
have not been affected by the situation. They have been in France since Monday
after flying directly from the New York area after playing at the Giants, while
the Steelers are set to travel Thursday night.
"We're continuing to make sure we have all the available information, make sure
the appropriate steps are being made," he said. "We're guests in the country.
We're going to be good guests, and we're going to do our thing. And I'm
confident they're going to do theirs. We look forward to it, and I'm leaving
shortly to go myself."
New Orleans safety Justin Reed said he and other players are not worried.
Goodell defends the presence of Steve Tisch and Jed York
Goodell defended the presence of Steve Tisch of the Giants and Jed York of the
San Francisco 49ers, each of whom was in attendance for the two-day meeting.
Tisch remains executive vice president and chairman of the board after he and
his siblings transferred their stakes to their children earlier this year.
Tisch's name was mentioned more than 400 times in Jeffrey Epstein files
released in January by the U.S. Justice Department.
After pledging at the Super Bowl there would be a review of Tisch's association
with Epstein, Goodell said Wednesday, "Everything we've looked at, we
understand and I think we're comfortable with him participating as the Giants
suggest."
Asked if the investigation was ongoing, Goodell said: "I think always we'll
look to see if there's any new information. We'll look at it, and we'll
evaluate that."
Tisch said he knew Epstein but denied going to his island.
York returned from his six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal
conduct policy. He was arrested in a prostitution sting in Ohio in August and
pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors but was still punished by the league.
"We went through a full process, obviously, to understand the facts, to
understand the issues," Goodell said. "(We) looked at it under the context of
our personal conduct policy, which applies to owners, commissioners, everybody
else, players. And it's something we feel strongly about. I think we need to
represent ourselves and our organizations properly. We saw a violation, and
we've dealt with it from a discipline standpoint. That's concluded now, and so
he'll be back representing the 49ers."
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AP Sports Writer Ken Maguire in Versailles, France, contributed to this report.
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See AP's full NFL coverage here
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