NEW ORLEANS — Health and safety issues dominated the early portion of Roger Goodell’'s annual state of the NFL address Friday. However, the commissioner also covered human growth hormone testing, the Rooney Rule on minority hiring practices, next year's cold-weather Super Bowl and the possibility of an 18-game regular season.

Player safety has been a point of emphasis during Goodell's tenure as commissioner. Players have been fined repeatedly for excessive hits, and Goodell said he would consider even stiffer punishment to get his message across.

"We're going to have to consider seeing discipline escalate, particularly on repeat offenders," Goodell said. "Suspension gets through to them."

Other topics addressed by Goodell included:

Minority hiring

No minority coaches or general managers were hired early in the offseason, raising the possibility that the Rooney Rule might be expanded to included coordinators and position coaches. The Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate for every coach and general manager vacancy.

"The Rooney Rule has been very effective the last decade," Goodell said. "But we have to see what the next generation of the Rooney Rule is, what's going to take us to the next level. We want to make sure we have the best people in the best possible positions and give everybody an opportunity to do that. There was full compliance with the Rooney Rule. But we didn't have the outcomes we wanted. The outcomes are to make sure we have full diversity throughout our coaching ranks, throughout executive ranks and throughout our league office."

DUI arrests involving players and league personnel

Although the league provides a car service for players to call after a night of drinking, alcohol-related driving arrests continue.

"We have to go beyond telling players or telling executives," Goodell said. "The reality it that we have to do a better job of educating people in the NFL. This is a high priority. It's part of our responsibility."

HGH testing

Goodell said he remained confident HGH testing would begin before the 2013 season, despite the inability to reach an agreement with players about the appeals procedures regarding testing.

"It's the right thing to do for the integrity of the game," Goodell said. "You don't have to play the game by taking performance-enhancing drugs."

The possibility of an 18-game regular season

Goodell did not rule out the future possibility of an 18-game season, along with a reduced preseason. This, despite the feeling from many players that an 18-game season would compromise safety.

"We're always going to re-evaluate our season structure," Goodell said. "Do we need four preseason games? The fans' reaction to the quality of preseason is a big concern.

"If we wanted to implement an 18-game schedule, we could have done that in the prior CBA. We'll continue to evaluate that. We will not compromise if we cannot do that in a safe way."

The Saints' bounty scandal

Goodell defended his handling of the New Orleans Saints pay-for-injury program, despite seeing his ruling to suspend players overturned by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

"There's no question that there was a bounty program in place for three years," Goodell said. "I don't believe bounties are going to be part of football going forward."

Next year's cold-weather Super Bowl

Goodell defended the league's decision to hold next year's Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., a facility without a dome.

"Undoubtedly the game next year is going to have an impact on future decisions for open-air, cold-weather sites," Goodell said. "We think for the New Jersey-New York market, this is going to be a fantastic event. Not only is the community prepared for this, but they have a great stadium. We will be prepared for the weather factors. But the fame of football is meant to be played in the elements. Some of our most classic games in NFL history were played in extreme weather conditions. The people of New York and New Jersey, the two teams, the host committees are going to do an extraordinary job."