The personal conduct policy allows the National Football League to discipline players for anything they do that is harmful to the league’s reputation or illegal. Now, the NFL reportedly has the authority to punish players for their behavior in college.
Previously under the personal conduct policy, commissioner Roger Goodell couldn’t discipline players entering the league for some of their actions in college. Whether the player was convicted of a crime or just accused, the league couldn’t impose discipline for things that happened before they were drafted.
However, that has now reportedly changed with the NFL adopting new language in its personal conduct policy that will allow Goodell or a future commissioner to suspend or fine a player for misconduct in college or before they entered the league.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the 2023 version of the personal conduct policy now includes language that allows for the possibility of discipline to be imposed on a player for conduct that occurred before they entered the NFL.
“Nothing in this Policy should be read to limit the league’s authority to investigate or discipline potential Policy violations alleged to have occurred before a player is under contract or Draft-eligible.”
NFL personal conduct policy on league’s authority to investigate events that occurred before a player was draft-eligible
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There are a number of past and present examples that could apply to the new rule. Before entering the 2016 NFL Draft, Tyreek Hill was kicked out of Oklahoma after an arrest for allegations of domestic assault and strangulation of his then-pregnant girlfriend. Months before he declared for the 2017 NFL Draft, running back Joe Mixon was caught on video punching a woman in the face, he was later charged with misdemeanor assault for it.
The new rule also comes at a time when a wave of players have been suspended for gambling on games and the ongoing gambling probe into Iowa and Iowa State. Ultimately, the new policy gives the NFL broader power of discipline and it means top college football players will need to be even more diligent with their actions moving forward.