Eric Winston: I was unprofessional

NFL Players Association president Eric Winston apologized Friday for comments he made earlier in the day about commissioner Roger Goodell that appeared in an online column.

"In a casual conversation with a reporter about the success of the NFL and how nothing seems to get in its way, I inappropriately and flippantly made a remark about the job of Commissioner Goodell," Winston said in a statement posted on his Twitter account. "We often disagree on the issues but I want to apologize to Roger for being unprofessional. I am disappointed that my comment was taken out of context and inserted into a column without any knowledge that the conversation was 'on the record.' I am disappointed that this reporter chose to burn me, but this is an important lesson that I will learn going forward. This is my fault and again, I apologize."

In a column that appeared on CSNNE.com on Friday, Winston said of Goodell: "Hey, even the worst bartender at spring break does pretty well. Think about it, a 2-year-old could [be NFL commissioner] and still make money."

Those comments came after Goodell spoke at his annual state of the league news conference prior to Super Bowl XLIX. The commissioner addressed a number of issues the NFL has faced in a trying year for the league, with the latest being the controversy surrounding the New England Patriots amid Deflategate.

"As an organization, and as an individual, it's been a tough year,'' Goodell said, "but a year of great progress, and I'm excited about the future.''

Winston, a nine-year offensive tackle in the NFL who played for Houston, Kansas City and Arizona, was elected as the NFLPA president last March.