Little more than 20 years after he signed his first contract to be the Commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell has put his name at the bottom of the newest one.
The NFL announced on Sunday afternoon that the league’s Compensation Committee has informed the full membership that an agreement has been reached on a four-year extension. Goodell is now under contract through March 31, 2031.
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His prior deal would have expired in March 2027. With few if any obvious successors in play, Goodell had plenty of leverage.
In the memo to all owners, a copy of which PFT has obtained, Patriots owner Robert Kraft explained that the Committee “worked closely with an independent third-party compensation consultant and outside counsel to structure a deal that aligns Roger’s compensation with the League’s long-term interests and success.”
The contract ties 95 percent of the total compensation to Goodell’s and the league’s “performance measured against various metrics and at the discretion of the Compensation Committee.”
When the league office was structured as a tax-exempt trade association, the NFL was required to disclose Goodell’s compensation on an annual basis. Since the league pivoted away from that approach, there has been no true clarity as to his total pay.
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It is surely substantial, most likely more than any player earns. And it’s not hard to argue that Goodell has earned his keep, given the manner in which the sport has continued to grow, with ever-increasing profits and staggering franchise values.
He also continues to provide a valuable service to his 32 bosses, taking the public heat for any and all potentially unpopular policies or decisions.
Goodell’s extension covers the duration of the current broadcast deals, which means that he’ll be in the captain’s chair for the next wave of TV and streaming contracts. The deal ends, however, not long after the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association.
Absent an early renegotiation with the NFLPA, the league will need another new deal with Goodell (who will be 72 at the time) or an effective transition plan to be implemented during a potential lockout aimed at securing an 18-game regular season and 16 annual international games.
The news comes three days before the start of Goodell’s 21st season at the helm of the sport, at the otherwise quiet midpoint of Labor Day weekend.
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