Tom Brady

Goodell will not attend Steelers-Patriots season opener

Published Sep. 3, 2015 2:54 p.m. ET

Mike Garafolo

Roger Goodell will not attend next Thursday's NFL opener between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, which will kick off one week after Judge Richard Berman's overturning the league's suspension of Tom Brady.

A league spokesman confirmed to FOX Sports on Thursday that Goodell will watch the game on TV because he "believes the focus should be on the game on the field and the festivities celebrating the Patriots' Super Bowl championship."

This will mark the first time Goodell, who was named commissioner in 2006, will not attend the annual Thursday night opening game. Goodell's predecessor Paul Tagliabue did not attend a few of the Thursday openers.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Goodell will attend a game on the NFL's opening Sunday, though it's unclear at this point which one it will be.

Goodell was at the Patriots' divisional-round and conference-championship games in January — the latter being the one that sparked the Deflategate scandal.