The NFL has no plans to drop Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl halftime headliner, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, reaffirming the league’s choice of the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist despite criticism from President Donald Trump and some of his supporters.
Speaking at his news conference after the NFL’s annual fall owners meeting, Goodell addressed the controversy for the first time since the league announced the decision in late September – a move that drew global attention, boosted Bad Bunny’s music streams and ignited a wave of political backlash.
“It’s carefully thought through,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”
The 31-year-old, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, has been vocal in his opposition to Trump and his policies. He decided to do a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico, avoiding stops in the mainland U.S., citing concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos.
He performs in Spanish and is expected to do so at the Super Bowl.
“We’re confident it’s going to be a great show,” Goodell said, acknowledging there could be more talent added to the lineup along with Bad Bunny. “He understands the platform that he’s on, and I think it’s going to be exciting and a united moment.”
The San Francisco 49ers will host the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It is unclear if Trump plans to attend, though he has made appearing at major sporting events a hallmark of his second term in the White House.
Trump, in an interview with the conservative news network Newsmax, said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.
“I don’t know who he is,” Trump said. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Goodell defended the decision Wednesday, explaining that it was made because of Bad Bunny’s immense popularity.
“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”
Echoing what Senior Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said Tuesday, Goodell noted there has not been much discussion about the “tush push” quarterback sneak since an effort to ban it narrowly failed in the spring.
Vincent said the primary concern is how difficult it is to officiate the maneuver, which the Philadelphia Eagles have executed successfully so often. It was not on the formal agenda at this meeting, though owners did get updates on penalties and other football matters.
“It’s something we will continue to monitor in all phases, just like we do every other aspect of the game,” Goodell said. “We don’t have any proposals to bring it back up. It wouldn’t surprise me if something does evolve. But it’s not something we’re really focused on during the season.”
Asked about replay reviews and the length of time they are taking, Goodell said game times are actually down through the first seven weeks compared with last season, despite a surge in kick returns after an adjustment was made to the so-called dynamic kickoff.
“That’s quite remarkable when you add the number of kickoffs,” Goodell said. “You’re going to get more fouls. You’re going to get different sets of fouls. You’re going to have a little bit more length to the game.”
Goodell said he had breakfast with interim Players Association Executive Director David White before one of the league’s international games this season but expects any talks about a move to an 18-game regular season and other collective bargaining discussions to wait until the union chooses its long-term leader.
The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2031 league year. White told The Associated Press last month that an 18-game season was not inevitable.
“The negotiations will be a lot more than just simply the 18 and two [exhibition games],” Goodell said. “There are a lot of issues that we are going to raise, and I’m certain that the players will raise – and that’s what it should be. That’s what collective bargaining is all about. They’re going to need time to make sure that they’re prepared, that they’re ready for the negotiations, that they have their priorities straight, and then we can begin negotiations.”
Goodell said work is underway to choose sites for the Super Bowl to cap the 2028 and 2029 seasons and expects an announcement on those next year.
