NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said the league has found no grounds at this stage to take action against former New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch under its personal conduct policy, despite the executive’s name appearing extensively in the recently-released Epstein Files.

Speaking at the league’s annual meeting, Goodell confirmed that an official review of the matter remains ongoing, but indicated that, based on the information currently available, no breach of its rules had been identified.

“As we said, we were going to follow the facts,” Goodell told reporters earlier this week. “We have been doing that. We’ve been very focused on making sure we understand everything that’s out there. We’ve engaged with others to make sure we have that information.

“As you know, the Tisch family also made some family changes. Steve and Jon and Laurie actually did some transactions as part of their estate planning. They’re no longer owners. But we have not found anything that’s a violation at this stage.”

The comments come less than a month after the Tisch family requested league approval to transfer their remaining 23.1 percent stake in the Giants into trusts for their children, a move first reported in early March and covered by Gridiron.

At the time, the action was widely viewed as a significant shift in the ownership structure of one of the NFL’s flagship franchises, coming shortly after emails released by the US Department of Justice revealed repeated correspondence between Tisch and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Those documents reportedly contained hundreds of references to the long-time Giants executive, including exchanges in which Epstein discussed arranging meetings with women.

However, the latest developments suggest the practical reality inside the organisation may be far less dramatic than the headline ownership change initially implied. According to reporting from The Athletic, a Giants spokesperson described Tisch’s continuing involvement with the franchise as ‘status quo’, confirming that he is expected to remain actively involved in the club’s operations even after the ownership transfer receives formal approval.

Asked whether that meant Tisch would remain involved with the team, the spokesperson responded: “Correct.”

While Tisch and his siblings — Jonathan and Laurie — may no longer hold direct ownership interests once the finance committee formally approves the transfer, Steve Tisch is expected to continue in his role as chairman of the board, preserving his influence over the Giants’ direction at executive level.

The development effectively reframes the story from one of an owner stepping away to one of a structural, financial and estate-planning adjustment, even if the timing has inevitably drawn scrutiny given the public fallout from the Epstein disclosures, the relevant contents of which Tisch previously acknowledged in a public statement.

“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women and, in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” Tisch said at the time. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

The NFL had initially stated in February that it would ‘look at all facts’ surrounding the matter, but Goodell’s latest comments strongly suggest that, barring any new revelations coming to light, the league does not currently view Tisch’s conduct as warranting disciplinary action under its policy framework.

For the Giants, the outcome means continuity off the field as the franchise enters a new era under head coach John Harbaugh, with ownership headlines now giving way to football matters, even if questions around Tisch’s role are unlikely to disappear entirely.