Another Roger Goodell extension — a topic broached in March — is on the cusp of completion. The longtime NFL commissioner is set to receive a new deal that runs through the 2027 season, Jeremy Fowler and John Keim of ESPN.com report.
Jim Irsay confirmed the extension is coming, though Goodell said he does not have a new deal yet. This extension will position Goodell to push his commissioner tenure past the 20-year mark. Goodell took over for Paul Tagliabue ahead of the 2006 season. It likely will be a matter of weeks until Goodell is officially re-upped, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets.
“It’s just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, but it’s done,” Irsay said. “We still have to rubber stamp it so to speak, but it’s virtually done. He’s done so much for the league with stability. … It’s a tough job, but he’s been a hard worker and worked very hard for the NFL and its success.”
Goodell’s current contract was set to expire after the 2023 season, with that deal being signed in 2017. After another round of monster TV agreements came to pass, the 18th-year commissioner will sign up for another go-round overseeing the country’s most popular sports league. While Goodell has taken plenty of heat — largely for his handling of disciplinary matters — the NFL has maintained its steady growth under his watch. It is logical the owners see no reason to rock the boat now.
Goodell passed Bert Bell (1946-59) for commissioner longevity during his most recent contract and will move past Tagliabue (1989-2006) this coming season. It seems unlikely Goodell, 64, will catch Pete Rozelle (1960-89) for time in the commissioner’s chair. But he will be poised to become the second 20-plus-year commissioner in NFL history.
Over the course of this new deal, Goodell appears prepared to groom a potential successor. Irsay said Goodell will have the opportunity to help the owners form a candidate list and have input as to whom the league should choose. Goodell also said splitting the commissioner role into two parts, one a CEO-type role and the other dealing more closely with the on-field component, has emerged as a talking point among owners and NFL officials.
“It’s a healthy discussion to have. The job changes over the years,” Goodell said. “It’s changed ever since I’ve been the commissioner. I know we will have the discussions at the appropriate time.”
The NFL is early in its third Goodell-era collective bargaining agreement. This CBA, agreed to in 2020, runs through 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic hit just before the players narrowly ratified the deal. The NFL had the advantage of seeing the pandemic hit during its offseason, as it paused the 2019-20 NBA season and led to Major League Baseball losing four months of its 2020 campaign. The fan-less or fan-limited (depending on the city) season led to the NFL seeing its second-ever salary cap reduction (in 2021), but the league’s salary ceiling is back on track. The cap spiked from $182.5MM to $208.2MM in 2022 and rose to $224.8MM this year. The spikes in each of the past two offseasons double as the biggest and third-largest jumps in the cap’s history.
During Goodell’s current deal, the league also expanded its regular season for the first time since 1978 and added one playoff team per conference. That has led to increased revenue. Although the NFL’s decisions regarding Thursday nights have generated persistent scrutiny, the league has motored along under its highly paid commissioner. While it is not confirmed, this imminent agreement looks like it will be Goodell’s final contract.
Keven Warren jumping up and down…waving his hand…”Pick me! Pick me!”
Kevin Warren jumping up and down…”Pick me! Pick me!”
Echo echo
“Goodell appears prepared to groom a potential successor. Irsay said Goodell will have the opportunity to help the owners form a candidate list and have input as to whom the league should choose”.
Only candidates well versed in hypocrisy and double talk need apply.
So, anyone with success in politics . . .
I wouldn’t be opposed to them scrapping TNF.
Me either! They talk about the injury rate but there’s more than that to it. “Healthy” players need time to recover from the intense beatings they take during a game. Insufficient time for that leads to higher injury or poor performance next game…..
The NFL had Thursday-night games in the 1980s. Were fans complaining about it back then?
How about the number of players sitting out or limited in TNF because they could not get ready in time?
No surprise here – Goodell loves the owners and hates fans/players.
Gary Bettman of the National Hockey League says hi.
Great. I was so worried.
“He’s done so much for the league with stability.”
Translated: “He does everything we tell him to, and in return we give him lots of money.”
I suppose re-instating Josh Gordon six (or was it seven) times, was crucial to the NFL maintaining it’s stability.
It looks like 8, but I might have missed one.
Truly an owners fool – what exactly does he accomplish besides being a mouthpiece and announcing a pinch of draft choices?