Roger Goodell is not ready to give up his place.
In a terse press release of barely a two-line sentence, the NFL announced this Wednesday that its boss had signed a three-year contract extension. The league’s salary committee, made up of five NFL franchise owners, negotiated the deal. It was then announced to all league owners.
Obviously, the contract figures have not been revealed. This is the fourth time that Roger Goodell’s contract has been extended. He took office in 2006. At the end of the extension he has just signed, he will have reigned over the NFL for more than 20 years. His predecessor, Paul Tagliabue, held the position for 17 years.
Tens of millions of dollars for Roger Goodell
If Roger Goodell’s salary is a well-kept secret, it is perhaps also because it is not fixed. According to the New York Times, the commissioner would have earned $128 million over two years between 2019 and 2021! An amount made possible by bonuses notably linked to the results of TV contract negotiations. Bonuses reportedly make up 90% of Goodell’s income.
The boss of the NFL would be far ahead of the bosses of other American leagues. Rob Manfred (baseball) would receive $17.5 million per year, while Adam Silver (basketball) and Gary Bettman (hockey) would earn $10 million per season.
Since the arrival of Roger Goodell the value of NFL franchises has exploded. Same thing for TV rights, which are negotiated in billions of dollars.
