National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell did not send the right message to the rest of the league's players Friday when he reduced the suspension of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to four games from six.

Roethlisberger deserved the harsher punishment for the embarrassment he caused to the league and his team in March when he was accused of — although not formally charged with — sexually assaulting a Georgia college student. Roethlisberger also remains the defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit in Nevada. The Nevada incident preceded the one in Georgia.

In response to the action taken by the league — the Steelers commendably planned to punish their star quarterback if the league didn't — Roethlisberger appears to have successfully effected a turnaround of his attitude and conduct. The fallout from the Georgia incident has caused him to reflect on his football legacy and his relationship with Steelers fans.

His conduct over the past several months has displayed the kind of conduct he should have maintained all along.

But Goodell's action on Friday presented an unwarranted and troubling backstep, telling other players that the league isn't always serious when it announces a major punishment — that there remains a window for leniency that should not exist.

With the new quarterback dilemma the Steelers face as a result of Byron Leftwich's knee injury acquired during an exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers Thursday evening, Goodell's decision is a godsend as the Black and Gold weigh their regular-season prospects. What occurred Thursday hopefully will reinforce the necessity of Roethlisberger striving to stay out of trouble for the remaining years of his football career.

He surely can't desire to go down in NFL history as an irresponsible jerk.

The only positive thing about Goodell's relaxation of the term of the suspension is that it stipulates that "reinstatement is contingent on Roethlisberger continuing to adhere to the program established by our (league's) advisors." Any deviation from that could result in the six-game suspension being reimposed.

However, maintaining the full length of punishment would have negated the need for that stipulation.