NFL Rumors: Roger Goodell set to reach $700,000,000 in career earnings ahead of looming multi-year contract extension as league’s commissioner
Roger Goodell has been the National Football League commissioner since September 1, 2006. He is the league’s sixth commissioner after Elmer Layden, Bert Bell, Pete Rozelle, and Paul Tagliabue. Austin Gunsel also served on an interim basis following Bell’s death in October 1959.
As shared in ProPublica, the NFL’s tax filings from 2006 to 2015 estimate Goodell’s earnings at $500 million. However, he’s set to earn more, barring any dissent for his impending three-year contract extension as the league’s highest official.
Roger Goodell’s earnings as commissioner could reach $700 million
Front Office Sports’ Eric Fisher reports that Goodell’s contract extension has been discussed months before next week’s league meeting in New York. If approved, he will remain in his post until 2027, and it could push his earnings to $700,000,000.
ProPublica shared that Roger Goodell had a $34 million base salary during the fiscal year ending March 2014. He earned an estimated $30.2 million the following fiscal year. Fisher also shared that Goodell’s most recent annual salary is $64 million.
To put his estimated earnings as NFL commissioner in perspective, Patrick Mahomes has the most lucrative contract among NFL players at $450 million for 10 years.
Meanwhile, his reported annual salary is roughly $9 million higher than the average yearly value of Joe Burrow’s five-year, $275 million contract extension.
Goodell will be 68 years old when his next contract as commissioner ends. It will also keep him the league’s highest official for over two decades. Tagliabue, his predecessor, was NFL commissioner for 17 years (1989-2006). For now, Rozelle is the longest-tenured commissioner at 29 years (1960-1989).
Roger Goodell's net worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Roger Goodell’s net worth at $200 million. He acquired most of his wealth after becoming NFL commissioner. However, he has worked with the league since 1982 as an administrative intern.
He also worked with the New York Jets before returning to the league in 1984 as a public relations assistant. Three years later, he became the assistant of American Football Conference President Lamar Hunt.
During Tagliabue’s tenure as NFL commissioner, Goodell became the league’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. That position made him the key decision-maker for the NFL’s operational, business, and officiating functions.
Roger Goodell’s journey as commissioner
The New York native became the league’s commissioner on September 1, 2006, after five rounds of voting, defeating former league counsel Gregg Levy.
Goodell believes that protecting the game's integrity and making it safer is his foremost responsibility. Hence, he announced a new NFL Personal Conduct Policy after a string of scandalous off-field activities by some league players.
He was also involved in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, ratified following a five-month lockout. A year later, the league dealt with the NFL Referees Association lockout by hiring replacement referees.
In 2013, the NFL reached a $765 million settlement with former players who sued the league for head injuries. The following year, US District Judge Anita Brody removed the settlement amount limit because it wouldn’t be enough to compensate thousands of injured men not included in the suit.
The Spygate and BountyGate scandals also occurred under Goodell’s watch, resulting in sanctions and suspensions for the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints.
But for all the controversies during his tenure, the league also made significant gains. Roger Goodell has helped the game grow through the International Series and the International Home Marketing Initiative. He was also at the forefront of the NFL Network’s creation.
Finally, the league has domestic media rights deals with NBC, CBS, FOX, and Amazon. These agreements will pull in an estimated $110 billion in revenue until 2033.