Tyreek Hill meeting with the NFL in Kansas City

The NFL sent executives to meet with Tyreek Hill in Kansas City, seeking to gain information about his recent off-field issues.

In late May, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked at the Owners’ Meetings about the ugliness surrounding Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Goodell responded by saying that the league would not interfere with the court proceedings. Whether Hill’s family court situation has been resolved or not, apparently the NFL decided it needed to begin gathering information about the potential violations of the personal conduct policy.

To that end, the league sent NFL Special Counsel for Investigations Lisa Friel and co-worker Jennifer Gaffney to Kansas City to interview Hill on Wednesday. It is noteworthy that Hill was not summoned to New York to meet with the NFL on their home turf, as is usually the case in such situations.

The main piece of evidence against Hill is the audio recording leaked by fiancè Crystal Espinal, in which he speaks abhorrent words including calling her a dumb b**ch. Whether or not those words merit a suspension is unknown, although it’s worth noting there’s a precedent. Last year, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith was banned four games for threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors  towards his ex-girlfriend.

Also interesting is that the two executives the NFL sent are female. Typically this would not be noteworthy, but in this situation it certainly seems relevant. Hill pleaded guilty to domestic violence against Espinal during college. Last month, the more recent recording was made public, sparking outrage and leading directly to Hill being suspended by the Chiefs from all team activities.

Whatever the NFL finds, it will be fascinating to see how the league decides to move forward on this sensitive issue. Furthermore, how the NFLPA responds to the NFL’s decision will also be worth watching.