I disagree. There are many instances where Goodell ruled with an iron fist and never consulted "owners." I don't recall there being a meeting about 9/11 references on cleats when they were outlawed. Was there a meeting with owners about the Cowboys honoring LEO killed defending BLM protests? Just fines as I recall.
I don't follow it that closely today. But as I understand it, there are branding rules in place and there was a rule about standing for the National Anthem. All the Commissioner needed to do was be consistent with former management policy and ruling.
The branding rules relate to clothing and shoes — and they’re very detailed rules. The NFL usually cracks down hard on those violations because their merchandising partners pay a fortune in licensing fees to have their logos on the players’ uniforms. If the NFL signs a $25 million licensing fee with Nike (for example) and then they don’t act quickly and harshly to protect Nike’s exclusive branding contract, they could face legal penalties and may even be forced to give all the money back.