“The Commissioner has been clear that he views this as his last contract.” Then-league spokesman Joe Lockhart said that after Roger Goodell signed his third contract extension in 2017. Eight years have passed since then, and Goodell has yet to be replaced as the NFL Commissioner. Lockhart, who believed Goodell won’t be renewing his $200M extension, agreed to re-up his contract two years ago. So, with his current deal coming to an end in 2027. The questions surrounding his NFL future are yet again being discussed. That’s why The Athletic’s Dianna Russini chose to address this burning question. Whether or not there will be a new commissioner at the helm of this thriving NFL empire, or will Goodell continue to work his magic?
Ever since Paul Tagliabue retired in 2006, the NFL has called Roger Goodell its commissioner. Under his tutelage, the NFL made $ 13 billion in revenue through the 2023 season. Even those numbers didn’t satisfy the hunger of Goodell, whose NFL tenure began in 1982. He has constantly stated his goal is to make $25 billion by 2027. Considering his fourth contract extension also runs out in 2027, the question is, will Goodell stand firm on his commitment or say goodbye soon?
When Russini was asked on her latest Scoop City podcast episode, “When will Goodell retire and who will replace him?” she gave a pretty solid outlook on what could really happen. “He’s making what roughly 60 to 65 million a year, highest-paid commissioner because financially, look how well they’ve done right so from I was at the owner’s meeting a few weeks ago, and from what I gather, he still
wants to do this, so that tells me he wants another contract extension,” Russini said.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA NFC Wild Card Round-Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams Jan 13, 2025 Glendale, AZ, USA NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the NFC wild card game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium. Glendale State Farm Stadium AZ USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20250113_mcd_su5_11
To be honest, there is no need for Goodell to retire given the current circumstances around his job. He’s making good money. The 32 people he works for, who determine his status, are happy with him. And most importantly, there is no viable alternative to replace him at the top. Of course, the only problem is his age. Now 65, the question is how long he is willing to do this. By the end of the CBA in 2030, Goodell will be 73. Will that force the league to move on from its ambitious commissioner? Well, we never know.
But for now, Goodell is motivated to keep going. Just take the NFL draft, for instance. Goodell envisions something that hasn’t been achieved before, even under his command.
Roger Goodell’s bold move to further grow the NFL draft’s popularity
The NFL draft has adopted an alternating venue system since 2015. It saw the league end its 50-year run of hosting the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Since that landmark decision, the draft has travelled from Chicago, Philadelphia, Texas, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Detroit and Green Bay. This annual event, where Goodell comes up on stage to announce the future stars of NFL franchises, has continued to pull a lot of traction. In 2024, Detroit pulled in 750,000 people, a record that no one saw coming.
This year, more than 600,000 people attended the event in Green Bay. With the next draft already scheduled to take place in Pittsburgh, Goodell announced a massive decision. He is taking the NFL draft to the nation’s capital in hopes of breaking more records. A few weeks ago, Goodell said, “We believe we’ll be well over a million fans when we come here to D.C. in 2027.” Well, a million fans attending the 3-day event might seem like an audacious goal.
However, given the popularity and numbers, the draft keeps on pulling year-on-year, seeing this record won’t be a surprise. Even President Donald Trump approves of this decision made by Goodell. “I don’t think there’s ever been anything like that. It’s going to be beautiful,” Trump mused. Well, only time will tell whether Goodell’s wish to see a million fans come true at the National Mall will be a reality or not. But one thing is clear: he is not going away anytime soon.
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