PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger zipped passes to his wide receivers, exchanged jokes with teammates and smiled throughout his first workout since the Pittsburgh Steelers missed out on the playoffs.

At the same time Roethlisberger was practicing for the first time this spring, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was telling a radio audience Monday that the quarterback violated the NFL's personal-conduct policy with his "pattern of behavior" and "bad judgments."

Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old college student in a Georgia nightclub last month, although he will not face criminal charges. Roethlisberger does face disciplinary action by the NFL, including a likely suspension, following the release of documents outlining tawdry behavior by the two-time Super Bowl winner.

"The issue here is with respect to a pattern of behavior and bad judgments," Goodell said on the Dan Patrick radio show. "You do not have to be convicted or even charged with a crime to be able to demonstrate that you've violated a personal-conduct policy, and reflect poorly not only on themselves, but all of their teammates, every NFL player in the league, and everyone associated with the NFL. That is what my concern is, and I have expressed that directly to Ben, obviously, and I'll be making a decision as soon as I possibly can."