Goodell ‘encouraged’ by Roethlisberger ‘doing what he’s been asked to do _ and frankly more’

Goodell says Roethlisberger doing more than asked

WESTMINSTER, Md. — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is doing more than he was asked to do by the league when given a six-game suspension after being accused of sexual assault.

Goodell says he will meet with Roethlisberger before the regular season starts in September and determine whether to reduce the punishment to four games.

During a visit to the Baltimore Ravens training camp Wednesday, Goodell said: “He is doing what he’s been asked to do — and frankly more.”

Goodell added that Roethlisberger “understands the seriousness of this and the fact he has to change the way he’s doing things. I’m encouraged by that.”

Goodell is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Thursday and plans to meet with Roethlisberger.

“Everything that he’s asked, I’ve done,” Roethlisberger said at the Steelers’ camp in Latrobe, Pa. “I’ve tried to go above and beyond. It’s positive encouragement. … Everybody thinks he’s just coming here to see me, but he’s touring all the camps. So I assume that we’re going to talk.”

While the Steelers expect Goodell to trim the suspension to four games, team president Art Rooney II said last week he doesn’t anticipate any ruling until close to end of the preseason.

“I’m not going to speculate,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday. “We know where we sit (at least six games), and we know where we potentially could sit (four games). … We’ll just continue on the path that we’re on until we get new information.”