It sure sounds like NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has some job security. ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that league owners are expected to give the nod to Goodell’s multi-year contract extension.
The extension for Goodell is expected to come through during next week’s owners’ meeting in Phoenix. Per Schefter, the extension has been “in the works” since last year.
It’s been reported that discussions relate to a three-year deal, but a length of time has not been made official. Monetary details regarding Goodell’s potential contract have not been released.
The NFL did not provide comment on the situation.
Although he catches a lot of grief from fans — and sometimes players — Goodell has been in his position for nearly two decades. He took over for Paul Tagliabue on Sept. 1, 2006.
Perhaps his greatest accomplishment came with the league’s new media rights deal worth $100-plus billion. Networks part of the deal include CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and Amazon.
Per Schefter’s report, some speculate that this could be the final deal of Goodell’s tenure as the league’s commissioner. If that’s the case (and assuming it’s a three-year extension), he would’ve led the NFL for a full two decades before stepping down.
The NFL will need to identify other candidates to replace Goodell in the league office if he intends to walk away at the conclusion of his next deal.
Potential Scheduling Changes Coming to NFL?
The NFL’s dominance in media might be one of the greatest accomplishments of Roger Goodell’s tenure as commissioner. More changes might be coming, too.
Last month Goodell was asked about the possibility of flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football games. That model allows the league to switch out previously-scheduled games for more interesting matchups in Weeks 5-10 and again in Weeks 11-17.
The league uses that model for Sunday Night Football games.
“Not today, but it’ll certainly be something that’s on our horizon,” he said.
Thursday Night Football caught a ton of heat during the regular season in 2022 because of a number of poor matchups. The league wants to capitalize on the best games of the year to maximize viewership. Adding a flex model to those games would certainly help.
Along with flex scheduling, Goodell has also been responsible for adding another league game to the NFL season. In 2021 the league implemented a 17-game season increasing the number of contests by one game.
It’s added more intrigue to the season as teams battle for playoff spots for an additional week.
