In the opinion of veteran journalist and commentator Frank Deford, the damage already is done.

“I think he moral sway has absolutely evaporated,” Deford said on HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, via SportsBusiness Daily. “He’s a ghost now. I don’t know when he’ll leave but I don’t think he can continue to have any kind of real credibility. I think that the league needs is somebody from the outside. Remember, Goodell grew up in the league. He’s a lifer. He only sees it from a football point of view.”