KANSAS CITY, Mo. — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he's in no hurry to mete out any judgement involving Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill so long as an investigation remains ongoing by the Kansas Department for Children and Families regarding to the status of his 3-year-old son.
“As you know there is a court proceeding still going on involving CPS, child protection service, and we will not interfere with that,” Goodell said during the league's spring meeting in Key Biscayne, Florida. The priority is this young child. We will obviously be cooperative of whatever the court wants there.”
Goodell made the statement during a press conference at the league's spring meeting when asked about Hill's status. The Chiefs have suspended Hill indefinitely from the team as the investigation remains ongoing. Head coach Andy Reid acknowledge last month that the club understands the Johnson County district attorney's office has reopened an investigation involving an injury to Hill's 3-year-old son.
The suspension came following the release of an audio tape recorded by Hill's fiancee Crystal Espinal featuring the couple discuss the injury to their son. Hill, through a letter from his attorney, has denied any role in his son's injury.
Goodell said the league plans to defer to the DCF and district attorney's office before discussing the case with Hill.
“We are prepared to go ahead and have an interview whenever we have the permission to do so, and then we'll make a determination based on what information we have at that point in time,” the commissioner said.
Hill doesn't need to be charged in the investigation to face punishment under the league's personal conduct policy. The policy, revised in 2018, gives the commissioner wider latitude in dispensing penalties involving allegations of domestic violence even if no legal charges are involved. Former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt received an 8-game suspension in February stemming from allegations of violence that did not involved criminal charges.
But Goodell decline to comment on any possible punish Hill could face.
“I won't speculate on where we'll go, but we'll certainly get all the information we possible can as soon as possible.”
