Roger Goodell's tenure as NFL commissioner doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.
The league's top official is in negotiations on a contract extension that would keep him in his current role, which he's held since taking over for former commissioner and his mentor Paul Tagliabue in 2006, according to a report published on Friday morning.
Goodell, who turns 63 on Saturday, was long thought to potentially be on his way out sometime after 2020 or 2021, but instead he is negotiating a fourth contract extension which is expected to be finalized sometime "in the coming months," according to Ben Fisher and John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.
He is seen by the NFL's 32 club owners as increasingly secure and confident in his role, and they are apparently pleased with the league's handling of the coronavirus pandemic under his leadership, the report said:
“He’s at the top of his game right now,” said one owner. “Why would we want him walking out the door?”
The potential terms of the deal seem to center on keeping Goodell in the fold for an additional 2-4 years beyond his current deal, which is set to expire in March 2024, according to the story.
Previous reports have indicated Goodell was paid somewhere around $64 million annually from 2019-21, with the bulk of it coming in bonuses.
The NFL is widely reported to have seen explosive financial growth during Goodell's tenure, including the negotiation of broadcast rights deals in excess of $100 billion in 2021.
The league has also maintained relative labor peace under Goodell, despite a brief lockout during the 2011 offseason, and is largely viewed as having come out on top in collective bargaining with the NFLPA, including during the most recent round in 2021.
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