The NFL has moved to cut salaries of certain staff members and is laying off others as America continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s how the NFL is addressing these changes.
Roger Goodell has salary cut to zero
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will not take any money during this period of time, according to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, after asking owners to vote to approve this measure.
While it is pretty cool that Goodell is taking the lead here, it’s a bit curious that he did not simply donate his salary. That could have served to continue the great work the league did raising money during the NFL Draft. Instead, NFL owners will simply not pay him, meaning that money stays in their pockets.
Details on salary reductions and furloughs for NFL employees
Fischer detailed exactly who is affected by the NFL’s decision to cut pay and issue furloughs for some employees.
The great part here is that the people earning the least (under $100,000) will not be affected, and the NFL is doing what it can to minimize furloughs.
All these details point to one thing: The NFL realizes it’s likely going to be a while before football operations can get back to normal.
There has been talk about starting the 2020 season later than usual. However, some around the league worry the coming season is a lost cause already.
On Tuesday night, Dr. Anthony Fauci made it clear that America is still not close to being ready for sports to come back. This latest news indicates the NFL is well aware of that.