NFL Commissioner Addresses Questions About Bad Bunny and ICE

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with the media this week to talk sports, and the questions quickly turned to politics.

Goodell held a news conference in the lead-up to this weekend’s Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

During his annual state of the league address on Monday, Feb. 2 — the day after the Grammy Awards — Goodell was asked if he’s concerned about halftime headliner, Bad Bunny, making political statements about ICE operations, like he did at the Grammys.

“Listen, Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell told reporters.

The NFL commissioner insisted there is a difference between music’s biggest night and the biggest night in sports, claiming the Super Bowl is a unifier.

“He understood the platform he was on and this platform is used to unite people, and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents and to be able to use this moment to do that and I think artists in the past have done that,” Goodell said.

He also seemingly shot down Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s comments in October that ICE will be “all over” Super Bowl LX. According to Goodell, there’s been “no change” in the usual security preparations for the game.

On Sunday, Bad Bunny won a total of three Grammys — best música urbana album, best global music performance, and album of the year. And he made history because his LP Debí Tirar Más Fotos is the first Spanish-language release to win the coveted album of the year trophy.

During his acceptance speech, he criticized the Trump administration’s deadly immigration crackdown.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” the Puerto Rican rapper and singer said to applause inside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans,” he continued. “Also, I know it’s tough not to hate these days. I was thinking, sometimes we get contaminados, I don’t know how to say that in English. The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”

Fans will get to see Bad Bunny when he takes the stage at the 2026 Super Bowl. The game will see the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 8. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on NBC.