One spin that I quite like: what if these 'influential owners' are among those that needed convincing (by Kraft) that Goodell was their man? What if they're not at all happy with the past year of scandals blowing up in the face of Goodell--and by extension their own faces?
I think most if not all of it amounts to competitive jealousy and/or eyeing a competitive advantage. However it's a nice little pipe dream to think some of these owners see Goodell for the bumbling fool he is and are telling him 'you made your bed, you signed off on the initial punishment and now you have to stick by it'. I think they know the tide has marginally turned in favor of Brady/Pats, coming on the heels of the Hardy appeal decision Goodell would look ridiculous upholding 4 games for maybe kinda sorta knowing about possible deflation and not turning over his phone (a $50K offense per the Brett Favre situation).
Maybe, just maybe, they're looking at this from a PR perspective and want to see Goodell gone from their league, and this is how to get that ball rolling. Force him to keep the suspension, he loses the PR war, then he loses in court yet again.
I can dream can't I?