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Roger Goodell’s tenure as NFL commissioner is not likely to end anytime soon, given that the league’s team owners expect to complete a contract extension with him in the coming months. Some in the sport even wonder if he will remain on the job beyond the duration of this pending extension.
But some owners spoke publicly a few years ago about the need to begin contemplating a succession plan for whenever Goodell is done. And with Goodell set to turn 68 in February, the owners perhaps will renew consideration of such a plan in conjunction with this extension, whether they take any formal action to begin implementing a succession plan.
Goodell’s current contract expires in March. The owners’ plan to strike a deal with him on another extension was confirmed by four people familiar with their views.
“That’s in good shape,” one of those people said. “That’s going to get done.”
The NFL has scheduled a special owners meeting for Aug. 26 in Atlanta for a potential ratification vote on the $9.612 billion sale of the Seahawks. There are regularly scheduled quarterly owners meetings in October and December. When the owners agreed to a three-year extension with Goodell in 2023, that deal was announced at an October owners meeting in New York.
Another three-year extension would keep Goodell in office through his 71st birthday. He first was elected commissioner in 2006. And there has been talk of his potential retirement since 2017, when former NFL chief spokesperson Joe Lockhart said that Goodell would step away after an extension was finalized.
It didn’t happen. Goodell has kept going, and the NFL has grown ever more prosperous. Owners believe it’s crucial to keep him in place through the league’s upcoming negotiations for new broadcasting deals and a labor agreement with the NFL Players Association that could include an 18-game season. The league aims to play 16 international games per season eventually.
Goodell is fit and energetic, and it’s not certain he would retire after this expected extension.
“This may not be the last one,” another person with knowledge of the owners’ deliberations said.
Even so, the conversation about a succession plan was under way among the owners in 2023. Late Colts owner Jim Irsay was among those who spoke publicly about the topic when Goodell’s last extension was finalized. Irsay mentioned the possibility of the owners opting, following Goodell’s tenure, to split the job into two positions, a chief executive for the business of the league and a commissioner overseeing football-related matters.
“I just think that, internally, we have to continue to look if we’re going to bifurcate the position eventually where you have a CEO and a commissioner as you go from there,” Irsay said on the day that Goodell’s extension was announced at a Manhattan hotel, according to The Washington Post. “Owners have to talk about that already … so we’re ahead of the curve in preparation and having those internal discussions.”
The NFL declined comment Tuesday.
The Contenders
The owners always have favored those who know the league well—and those who the owners know well—over outsiders as top commissioner candidates. The list of possible successors probably would evolve considerably the longer that Goodell stays. But for now, the group of those that could receive consideration might include:
Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA Tour: Rolapp, whose term as the Tour’s commissioner officially begins Jan. 1, spent 22 years at the NFL, most recently as its chief media and business officer. He helped to negotiate the league’s current broadcasting deals and once was viewed by some as the successor-in-waiting to Goodell. His exit to golf may not necessarily change that. Whenever Goodell exits, there probably will be considerable support among the owners for Rolapp, and he’ll have commissioner experience on his résumé. He’s still relatively young, at 54.
Peter O’Reilly, NFL EVP of club business, major events and international: He oversees some of the league’s highest-profile ventures and has had an increasingly prominent role. No one should be surprised if he emerges as a leading contender, particularly if Rolapp opts against returning.
Ted Ullyot, NFL EVP and general counsel: The league hired Ullyot, formerly the general counsel at Facebook, last year to take over following the retirement of its longtime top in-house attorney, Jeff Pash. The owners have a history of considering their lawyers as potential commissioners. Goodell’s predecessor, Paul Tagliabue, had been the league’s chief outside counsel. The other finalist when Goodell was elected was Gregg Levy, the NFL’s principal outside attorney. Ullyot’s first set of CBA negotiations with the NFLPA is almost at hand.
Larry Ferazani, general counsel of the NFL Management Council: He is the top lawyer for the league’s labor negotiating arm and was a key figure in the deal struck with the NFL Referees Association in May on a new CBA.
Christine Dorfler, NFL EVP and CFO: She is the former CFO of the NBC Sports Group. She was hired to succeed an NFL fixture, Joe Siclare, and is highly respected within the league office.
Renie Anderson, NFL EVP of NFL partnerships and chief revenue officer: She is a key figure at the upper levels of the league office and has taken an increasingly public role when significant partnerships are announced.
Hans Schroeder, NFL EVP of media distribution: If he is viewed by the owners as indispensable to the NFL’s broadcasting decisions by the time Goodell exits, he could receive serious consideration.
Kevin Warren, Bears president and CEO: He is the former commissioner of the Big Ten. But he turns 63 in November, so it’s unclear whether he still would be a candidate by the time Goodell is ready to step away.
Kevin Demoff, Rams president and president of team and media operations for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment: Demoff works with Kroenke-owned franchises across a variety of sports and might be one of the few team executives that the owners could consider.
Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi: He is a former CFO of the NFL and has a background that includes stints at Goldman Sachs and Twitter. He would be an attractive option if the owners want to look for a business executive not currently in professional sports.
Adam Silver, NBA commissioner: Some owners have mentioned him in the past as a possible post-Goodell target. But that time may have passed. Silver turns 65 in April, and it’s not clear whether he’d leave the NBA.
A Different Path
If the owners split the job and seek a commissioner to oversee football matters along with a business CEO, the top contenders for the football czar role would include:
Troy Vincent, NFL EVP of football operations: He is the top football executive in the league office and would be a natural fit for the job. Vincent is a former NFLPA president and also could be a contender for the commissioner job if it’s not split.
Rich McKay, co-chairman of the NFL competition committee: The longtime front office executive for the Buccaneers and Falcons is now the CEO of Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment. He knows as much about the league’s rule-making process as anyone.
Dawn Aponte, Giants SVP of football operations and strategy: She left the league office for the Giants’ front office after serving as the NFL’s chief football administrative officer. She is experienced and respected, and she would be well qualified to be considered for either a team’s GM job or a top position in the league office.
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