The NFL’s Compensation Committee notified team owners on Sunday that commissioner Roger Goodell had agreed to a four-year contract extension, keeping him in charge through the 2030 season and running until March 31, 2031.
The deal marks the fifth extension for the 67-year-old Goodell, who succeeded Paul Tagliabue in 2006 and first joined the league as an administrative intern in 1982 under then-commissioner Pete Rozelle.
In a memo sent to owners and obtained by The Associated Press, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who chairs the compensation committee, wrote: “We believe we are very fortunate to have Roger at the helm for the next four years.”
Kraft said the committee worked with an independent third-party compensation consultant and outside counsel to structure the agreement around results. More than 95% of the total compensation is tied to Goodell’s and the league’s performance, measured against various metrics at the committee’s discretion.
Financial terms were not immediately disclosed. Goodell reportedly earned $63.9 million across the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. The league is no longer required to report his annual pay, having dropped its tax-exempt trade association structure years ago.
Revenue and franchise valuations have climbed steeply during his tenure. The Washington Commanders sold for $6.05 billion in 2023, and the Seattle Seahawks changed hands for $9.612 billion, a record price for a North American sports team.
His leadership has also coincided with the league’s push abroad. The NFL has been steadily building its global audience through international games and opening the door to private equity investment in team ownership.
The extension keeps continuity in the commissioner’s office as the league heads into a stretch of expanded overseas scheduling and evolving media rights negotiations. Goodell has held the role for two decades, a period covering rapid growth in broadcast deals, stadium values and franchise sale prices.