Sources: Goodell expects a brand new deal

Adam SchefterESPN Senior Writer4:00 PM ET3 Minute Learn

Roger Goodell and NFL house owners are anticipated to finalize a multi-year contract extension for the commissioner at subsequent week’s house owners conferences in Phoenix, league sources informed ESPN.

The NFL’s Compensation Committee is scheduled to current the proposed extension to crew house owners throughout a particular privileged assembly Tuesday afternoon. Just one member of every crew might attend this assembly.

Goodell’s renewal has been within the works since final season, when the Compensation Committee was given full membership permission to increase, in accordance with sources. Sources say the perimeters have mentioned a three-year extension, however no size has been agreed but.

The NFL declined to remark.

The economics of Goodell’s new deal are unknown, however it’s anticipated to be stimulus-driven and, given the league’s monetary success, essentially the most profitable deal ever given to a commissioner in a sport.

That is the fourth additional time for Goodell, who took over from Paul Tagliabue on September 1, 2006; the earlier expansions got here in 2009, 2012 and 2017.

The method resulting in this extension seems to have gone loads smoother than the final one in 2017, when Dallas Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones threatened a lawsuit earlier than the league lastly fined him for his authorized threats . This deal went into impact in 2019.

Since then, Goodell has helped safe a collective bargaining settlement that has ensured lasting labor peace and a brand new media rights deal price over $100 billion with CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and Amazon that the NFL is the envy of different leagues turns into. The NFL has additionally struck multi-billion greenback streaming offers with YouTube for its Sunday Ticket recreation package deal.

Moreover, the NFL has performed its full vary of video games through the COVID-19 pandemic, with gamers receiving 100% of their compensation, which sources say was not misplaced to house owners throughout this push to finish Goodell’s renewal.

NFL house owners have additionally seen the worth of their groups skyrocket throughout Goodell’s tenure as commissioner. The Minnesota Vikings — the final crew to be bought earlier than Goodell took over in 2006 — bought for $600 million, whereas the Denver Broncos bought for greater than $4.5 billion final yr.

Goodell’s tenure was not with out controversy, nevertheless. Participant security, significantly concussion accidents, has been a continuing concern, as has the gradual means of hiring presidents, chief executives and coaches from minority groups within the league. Extra lately, the league’s method to participant self-discipline, in addition to participant social activism, has been a part of Goodell’s legacy.

There was hypothesis that Goodell’s 2017 extension can be his final – that he would step down as soon as he had helped negotiate a brand new collective bargaining settlement in 2020 and a media rights deal in 2021. However Goodell loves his job, the work, and league insiders say he’s not able to step apart.

Goodell is 64 and a few consider this will likely be his final cope with the NFL. Former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle resigned from his job at 63, and Tagliabue left at 65. Goodell is a identified health fanatic and his stamina belies his age.

Nevertheless, as soon as this renewal is full, there’ll proceed to be growing deal with figuring out potential candidates to succeed Goodell within the years to return.

Inside candidates may embody Chief Media & Enterprise Officer Brian Rolapp, Govt Vice President/Soccer Operations Troy Vincent, Chief Administrator of Soccer Operations Daybreak Aponte, Govt Vice President/Membership Enterprise and League Occasions Peter O’Reilly and Chief Income Officer Renie Anderson .

Candidates from outdoors the league workplace may embody Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren and Los Angeles Rams chief working officer Kevin Demoff.

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