Goodell: Players from Dolphins' bullying scandal must be evaluated

What does the NFL plan to do about alleged bullies Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey?

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the three offensive lineman singled out in the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal will face mandatory evaluations from medical personnel and go through treatment before they'll be allowed to play again.

Whether that means a suspension is unclear.

They allegedly harassed former teammate Jonathan Martin..

"Our focus right now, at least in the case of the three players, is that they would be evaluated," Goodell said. "We've talked with the union several times about that and we agreed that was the right first step. Once they've been evaluated, the medical professionals, which are joint medical professionals, will make determinations whether any treatment is necessary and it will be a requirement that they fulfill that."

What about a suspension?

"The first phase for us is to get the evaluation to determine what the treatment is, depending on the doctors prescribe there, that could prevent them from being part of football for some period of time, but that's a medical decision," Goodell said.

Martin is now with the San Francisco 49ers after being traded. Incognito is a free agent. Jerry signed with the New York Giants. And Pouncey remains under contract with the Dolphins.

"We're trying to get as much input as possible," Goodell said. "This is culture change, while modifying policies from time to time are important, this is more about people understanding the professional workplace where there is respect for everybody, whether that's a teammate, opponent, game officials, and we have to provide that. We want to engage with our players ... to make sure we're making the right decisions long term."

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Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun

Aaron Wilson
Aaron Wilson covers the NFL for National Football Post, his second stint at the Post. He has previously written for Pro Football Talk and FOX Sports-Scout. Entering his 13th year covering the Baltimore Ravens, he's a beat writer for The Baltimore Sun. Wilson has also covered the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.

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