There was some unexpected drama at the NFL owners’ meeting on Tuesday, and it stemmed from a vote on Roger Goodell’s contract status.
As ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. report, the NFL’s 32 owners held a vote to determine whether the league’s compensation committee would be able to negotiate a new contract with Goodell. The NFL’s commissioner had previously signed a five-year extension in 2017 that runs through 2024.
The results were near-unanimous: 31 NFL owners voted “yes” on the measure.
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Only Cowboys owner Jerry Jones voted “no”, but not before he had a “heated exchange” with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
“Don’t f— with me,” Jones told Kraft before the vote, per ESPN.
Kraft replied, “Excuse me?”
“Don’t mess with me,” Jones said.
Clearly, Jones was frustrated being the lone dissenter in the Roger Goodell contract negotiations vote. That said, it wasn’t immediately clear what specifically prompted the antagonistic response from Jones to Kraft specifically; ESPN reports that it is not due to any “lingering animosity” between the two.
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Why Jerry Jones didn’t support Roger Goodell contract negotiations
Jones didn’t necessarily vote no because he disapproves of the job that Goodell is doing as commissioner. More so, he wants to be able to structure the deal in a way that allows Goodell’s incentive-based contract to be tied to strict financial goals, not vague ones.
“[Jones] believes in corporate good governance and wants accountability on the financial goals tied to Roger’s bonus,” a league source told ESPN. “He is sensitive to awarding a big bonus to Roger before he performs and earns it.”
Jones has been adamant about this structure in the past, so it’s not necessarily a surprise that he voted “no.” Still, he simply doesn’t have the support needed to change the potential structure of any offer to Goodell.
What is Roger Goodell’s contract?
The specific terms of Goodell’s contract aren’t public knowledge. However, the New York Times reports that he made an average of $63,900,050 per year for the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21. That means he made just shy of $128 million over a two-year span.
The Times also reports that Goodell’s contract has bonuses within it that are tied to CBA and broadcast rights negotiations. Goodell agreed to a 10-year labor agreement with the NFLPA in March of 2020 and a TV deal worth $110 billion in March of 2021. The earnings from those deals likely boosted Goodell’s overall salary.
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Roger Goodell net worth
Goodell’s net worth is estimated at $200 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. He started his career with the NFL as an unpaid intern and has been commissioner since 2006.
Jerry Jones net worth
Jerry Jones has a net worth of $15.8 billion according to Forbes. He made his fortune as an oil wildcatter in the 1970s. Now, the Cowboys are the most valuable asset in his portfolio with a worth of about $8 billion.
Robert Kraft net worth
Robert Kraft has a net worth of $10.6 billion according to Forbes. Kraft made his fortune in paper and packaging manufacturing and now is the Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group. The Patriots are his biggest asset and have an estimated net worth of $6 billion. He originally bought them for $172 million in 1994 to save them from moving to St. Louis.
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