MINNEAPOLIS — Roger Goodell wants to see the mystery of the NFL’s catch rule solved, and he’s ensured that the process has begun.

The commissioner said at his annual Super Bowl news conference Wednesday that he personally sees that rule as the most obvious to address.

Asked about the scrutiny that NFL officiating came under this season, Goodell said “on the catch/no catch rule, we need to find a rule we think will address that. We certainly need to get this rule right so everyone can appreciate it.”

Goodell recently spent three hours with former players, going over 150 plays. He said there were many good ideas offered, but as for the specifics of what should be a catch, there was little consensus.

TV: Fox and the NFL agreed to a five-year deal for Thursday night football games.

Those games previously were televised by CBS and NBC, two of the league’s other network partners. Fox announced it will televise 11 games between Weeks 4 and 15, with simulcasts on NFL Network and Fox Deportes.

CHIEFS: The countdown to the Patrick Mahomes II era in Kansas City began the moment the Chiefs traded up to select the strong-armed quarterback in the first round of last year’s draft.

Officially, it is down to about six weeks.

The Chiefs agreed to trade veteran quarterback Alex Smith to Washington late Monday, a deal that will become official with the start of the new league year on March 14. In doing so, the Chiefs made a bold statement that they’re ready for Mahomes, a prolific passer during his college days at Texas Tech, to assume the starting job for the foreseeable future.


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