It’s been a week since we’ve discussed Roger Goodell‘s anticipated contract extension, so it’s high time we talk about it again, lest anyone forget. Last Sunday, we heard that the extension had been papered and was ready to be finalized but that discussions concerning the national anthem issue were holding things up (though multiple reports disputed the notion that the anthem issue was the cause of the delay). However, it still sounded as if the extension would get done in short order.
Now, though, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says the extension might not be the slam dunk it once appeared to be. Per Schefter (who was the one who reported that the anthem discussions were impeding the extension), 17 NFL owners held a conference call Thursday that discussed the possibility of halting the extension. Unsurprisingly, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was a “leading voice on the call,” but outside of the Cowboys, it is unclear which teams were represented. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, the chair of the compensation committee, was not part of the call.
It still seems unlikely that Goodell would be fired, as 24 of the league’s 32 owners would need to sign off on his dismissal, and it does not sound as if Goodell has lost that much support. Plus, as ESPN’s Jim Trotter tweets, owners do not know who would replace Goodell at this point. Nonetheless, there is growing dissatisfaction with Goodell’s performance as commissioner, according to Schefter, and with the league at something of a crossroads in light of player protests, declining ratings, etc., at least some owners do not believe Goodell is a good enough problem-solver. Said one owner, “You don’t get to have this many messes over the years like Roger has had and survive it.” Added another, “Maybe [Blank] and [the compensation committee] think they’re on track [to complete an extension], [b]ut they have a lot more resistance than they counted on — and maybe they don’t know how the resistance is growing as we speak.”
Once again, though, Schefter’s report is being contradicted by another prominent national writer. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says Goodell’s extension is done, it just has not been announced yet. La Canfora says it may not be announced until the the week of the Super Bowl, as the NFL knows it will create a great deal of conversation, much of it negative, and it simply does not want to deal with it right now while there are so many other issues to publicly contend with. The CBS scribe says Jones is indeed trying to hold things up, but it is unlikely he has 16 other owners in his corner, and that while the other owners on the conference call do want change in the league office, they do not want to remove Goodell.
Tune in next week for yet another thrilling installment of the Goodell drama, where conflicting reports and plot twists abound.
