There’s no blueprint for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to deal with the possible suspension of Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Goodell is the judge and the jury on this matter, a system he works within as he reviews the facts and the league’s personal conduct policy. There’s simply no precedent on this matter. Roethlisberger has been in trouble with the law two offseasons in a row, and now Goodell needs to make sure something like this never happens again to a franchise player who is one of the faces of the league.

I think the punishment for Roethlisberger has to meet the status of the black eye he’s given to the Steelers and the league. This decision needs to be swift, and the punishment has to be more than two games. I believe that people around the league have a keen interest in how many games the suspension could be.

There will be a suspension.

Don’t dismiss the fact that as a quarterback, and a two-time Super Bowl winner, Roethlisberger is also held to a higher standard than other players. Because of his position and the money he makes, it’s a profile he has to live up to.

Talking with people involved in the league, I’ve found that the players think a two-game suspension would be a slap on the wrist.

All eyes will be on Goodell.

– Brian Baldinger

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