(Audacy) NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's tenure doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.
Goodell is in negotiations on a contract extension that would keep him in his current role, according to a report. Goodell has held the position since taking over for former commissioner and his mentor Paul Tagliabue in 2006.
Goodell, who turns 63 on Saturday, was long thought to potentially be on his way out sometime after 2020 or 2021, but instead he's negotiating a fourth contract extension, which is expected to be finalized sometime "in the coming months," Ben Fisher and John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reported.
Goodell is seen by the NFL's 32 owners as increasingly secure and confident in his role, and they're apparently pleased with the league's handling of the coronavirus pandemic under his leadership, per the report.
“He’s at the top of his game right now,” one owner said. “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 two to four years beyond his current deal, which is set to expire in March 2024, according to the story.
Previous reports 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 it's 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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