On today's edition of NBC's "Meet the Press," host Chuck Todd separately interviewed NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith and NFL Exec VP/Labor & Chief Counsel Jeff Pash, touching on topics including the league's new personal conduct policy plus whether the game football is safe. Smith said of player safety, "I don't think that we will ever be content that the game is as safe as it can be." Pash: "The game is safer than it has ever been, and the progress that's being made means it's going to be safer in the future. And I think if you look at what's been done during Commissioner Goodell's tenure, whether it's in the context of preventing concussions by rule changes, better equipment, and teaching safer tackling techniques ... there's a tremendous amount of progress being made."
Smith said of the NFL's conduct policy, "We have issues with a number of the individual issues. But I honestly believe that we should be working together to make an overall policy fair for both players and owners." Pash later pushed back on the notion that the NFLPA was not consulted in the drafting of the new policy: "The NFLPA has been in the room. They've been in the room for the past 15 years when we've talked about this" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 2/1).
