Roger Goodell to attend Falcons game for second straight week over Patriots

Roger Goodell will not head to Foxborough for the AFC Championship Game.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell plans to attend the NFC Championship Game on Sunday in Atlanta over the AFC Championship Game in Foxborough, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Goodell was in Atlanta last weekend for a site tour of the Falcons' new facility, and stayed to watch the Falcons beat the Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs. He traveled to Seattle during the wild-card round to watch the Seahawks play the Lions.

The Falcons host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. E.T. The Patriots welcome the Steelers at 6:40 p.m. E.T.

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Goodell has been absent from Gillette Stadium since handing down punishment to the Patriots and Tom Brady for their alleged role in the Deflategate scandal. He did not attend the Patriots' banner-raising ceremony in 2015, which prompted fans to chant "Where is Roger?" 

“He’s the commissioner, so obviously whatever he wants to do, he can do,” Brady told WEEI on the possibility of a Goodell visit. “If he wants to come, that would be, yeah, he can come. He can go wherever he wants to go. Whoever is at the game is at the game.”