The contract extension negotiations for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell might have hit a snag recently with push back from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Heck, Jones reportedly hired this high-profile lawyer in an attempt to block a Goodell extension.
Some specific details are coming out in regards to Goodell’s extension demands. And they’re whoppers. They include a $50 million annual salary, lifetime use of a private jet and lifetime health insurance for Goodell and his entire family, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.
That last part is about as absurd as it gets considering the NFL, under Goodell, still refuses to provide 100 percent of former NFL players with health insurance.
“One NFL owner told ESPN that there are ‘several owners in this league who don’t make $40 million a year.’ The owner was referring to the salaries that owners take, which does not include the increase in valuations that each NFL franchise has undergone,” the two ESPN insiders noted.
If this seems a bit ridiculous, that’s because it is. We’re talking billionaires fighting over tens of millions of dollars in a multi-billion dollar industry. Specifically, Jones is worth $5.6 billion and has seen himself accrue this worth primarily during Goodell’s tenure as NFL Commissioner.
In any event, it will be interesting to see what comes of this behind the scenes. What looked to be a done deal in regards to an extension might lead to more drama within the NFL itself.