Roger Goodell - Pro Football Rumors

Owners Hoping CBA Isn’t Passed?

March 7th, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

While the NFL’s latest CBA proposal has already been distributed to players, it sounds like some owners are hoping it isn’t passed. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that a “number of NFL owners” are hoping the CBA doesn’t pass next week because they believe they can get a better deal in 2021. Specifically, the owners believe they could make a stronger push for an 18-game schedule.

Lawyers for the NFL and NFLPA worked on finalizing language for the CBA on early Thursday morning, and ballots were sent to players later that day. Players will have almost exactly one week to vote on the measure.If more than 50% of the players vote yes, the CBA passes. The NFLPA’s board approved the agreement, by a 17-14-1 vote, on Feb. 26. The union’s executive director, DeMaurice Smith, expects it to pass.

We’ve learned about a number of additional CBA details over the past few days, which we’ve compiled below:

Previously, teams were required to spent at least 89-percent of the cap, but the salary floor would be increased to 90-percent under the new CBA. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com points out, that’d effectively be an increase from $178MM to $180MM (using a $200MM cap).
We heard that the new CBA would reduce Roger Goodell‘s authority when it came to the Personal Conduct Policy, but Florio says the commissioner would still have final say over a punishment. Goodell will also have the right to increase or decrease penalties that were handed out by a neutral arbitrator.
If the proposed CBA is ratified, the NFL will no longer suspend players for positive tests for marijuana or other substances of abuse. While this CBA includes a harsher PED policy, the new substance-abuse standards will focus more on treatment. However, Florio writes that the league won’t automatically reinstate already-banned players like Josh Gordon, Martavis Bryant, and Randy Gregory. These players will still be required to go through the standard reinstatement process.

Latest On CBA Proposal

February 20th, 2020 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, owners approved the latest variation of the collective bargaining agreement, and reporters have gotten their hands on some of the proposal’s major details:

There will be two extra roster spots added to the active roster and two extra spots added to the practice squad. As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com observes, this would add 128 players to the union. Somewhat related, the league will also have an ” extra offensive lineman” rule that would be somewhat similar to the previous “third quarterback rule.” Essentially, if an offensive lineman is knocked out of a game, a reserve lineman could play (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter).
Going off of that, teams will have an extra $1.25MM to spend on up to two players with four-plus years of experience. This chunk of change won’t count towards the salary cap, making it the NFL’s pseudo-version of the NBA’s mid-level exception (as Pelissero notes). Minimum salaries will also be increased, meaning those fringe players will have additional chances to earn.
Roger Goodell will have diminished authority over discipline. The league will implement “a neutral decision-maker for most Commissioner Discipline cases.” As Pelissero tweets, the commissioner will have authority “over integrity of the game matters” (like Deflategate). Personal conduct matters will now be handled by the arbitrator. Further, there will be reduced penalties for THC, and there will be no “game suspensions strictly for positive tests.”
Fifth-year options will now be fully guaranteed and tied to performance (as opposed to draft position), tweets NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Specifically, when a team picks up the option, the fifth-year salary will be fully-guaranteed prior to the first rounder’s fourth season, and the value will be directly tied to performance. There will also be performance escalators for second- through seventh-rounders.
There are a variety of changes to training camp practices, with a 2.5-hour limit on “padded/full speed practices” (via NFL.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter). There’s also limits to time spent at a team’s facility during a single workday and limits of only 16 days in pads.

Patriots Rumors: Videotaping, Brady, Gronk

January 29th, 2020 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The league’s investigation into the Patriots’ videotaping incident is still ongoing, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed on Wednesday. The process has already taken roughly two months and Goodell says he won’t rush things along.

“Our responsibility is to make sure we’re being extremely thorough,” Goodell said (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI). “We have a responsibility to 31 other clubs, we have a responsibility to partners, we have a responsibility to fans understand all of what happened, and to make sure that something that we don’t know happened didn’t happen. And so, from our standpoint we want to make sure we are being thorough. Our team has been on it. We have been focused on this. I think it has not been that lengthy of time. We obviously put the focus on it, but we are going to get it right. When we come to a conclusion, we’ll certainly make sure that people are aware of it.”

When the investigation finally wraps, the Patriots may face fines and/or the forfeiture of a draft pick.

Here’s more from New England:

During his Super Bowl week media availability, Rob Gronkowski was, predictably, asked about the possibility of returning to football. The longtime Patriots tight end, in turn, gave a predictable answer that won’t do much to silence the speculation. “Oh, man, I don’t know,” Gronkowski said when asked if he’ll ever come out of retirement. “I’m a young guy — 30 years old. I still love to workout, stay in shape. Like I said, I’ve answered this question many, many times. I will never say complete no, because I love playing sports. I love competing.”
Meanwhile, Gronk says he supports Tom Brady‘s desire to explore free agency this offseason (via Nick Goss of NBC Sports). “He’s going to be a free agent for the first time ever. Good for him,” Gronk said. “Test out the market, and then do what’s best for himself. That’s the decision he has to make — what’s best for himself, what’s best for his family, what he feels like he’s going to love.”
Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia announced that he will retire this offseason. Scarnecchia spent 34 years on the Pats’ staff and served as an assistant for ten of their eleven Super Bowl appearances.

Roger Goodell Isn’t Thinking About Retirement

January 29th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Roger Goodell has frequently come under fire since taking over as the NFL’s commissioner in 2006. He’s also made a fortune in one of the most heavily-scrutinized executive positions in sports, but he doesn’t envision walking away anytime soon.

“I haven’t thought about retiring, it’s not on my agenda. We have too much to do,” said Goodell.

Atop the list of things to do: Guiding the NFL to a brand new collective bargaining agreement as the current one nears its expiration. But, even after Goodell hammers something out with the players’ union and negotiates new television deals, he doesn’t think he’ll transition from football to daily tee times on the golf course.

Goodell, 60, did acknowledge the need for a succession plan. At this time, there’s no clear internal candidate to take over for the commish, as was the case years ago in the NBA when Adam Silver assumed David Stern’s position. Interestingly, there have been rumblings of big-name candidates from outside the sport over the years – like Silver – and out of sports – like former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

Roger Goodell On Antonio Brown

January 29th, 2020 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

In a press conference with reporters, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed Antonio Brown‘s ongoing saga and uncertain status with the league. Goodell, who is overseeing the ongoing investigation that probably won’t reach its conclusion anytime soon, expressed concern for Brown’s overall welfare.

“We want to help him get on the right track,” Goodell said. “We are confident it will happen.”

Before Brown can think about a return to football, he’ll have to get his personal life and legal affairs in order. The wide receiver was parked on the Commissioner Exempt list after being hit with a lawsuit for one of the sexual assault allegations against him. Since then, Brown has been featured weekly on the pages of Pro Football Rumors for mostly non-football reasons. Just last week, he was cuffed for three charges, including battery.

Goodell declined to give a timeline on discipline from the league office. At this point, it’s hard to see Brown getting back on an NFL field in 2020 and he may never return to the sport if he’s unable to make wholesale changes to his personal life.

Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler, will turn 32 in July.

Roger Goodell Consulted With Owners On Kaepernick Workout

December 1st, 2019 at 6:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There was a lot that was unclear surrounding the circumstances of how the recent Colin Kaepernick workout came to be. We heard a couple of weeks ago that commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision to organize the workout himself, and in an unusual way. He reportedly didn’t seek counsel from his usual group of advisers, and even solicited advice from rapper Jay-Z on multiple occasions about how to proceed with Kaepernick.

It was also reported at the time that teams and personnel departments were caught off-guard by the hastily organized workout, but at least some clubs apparently had advanced knowledge. That’s because Goodell “spent months building a caucus and lobbying owners in preparation for a possible workout,” sources told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. La Canfora reports that Goodell spent a lot of time talking with Robert Kraft, Stephen Ross, Arthur Blank, Jed York and Jeffrey Lurie, owners of the Patriots, Dolphins, Falcons, 49ers, and Eagles, among others.

La Canfora adds that Goodell would then report back to Jay-Z’s team every few weeks what kind of feedback he was getting from the owners. One source told JLC that Goodell spoke to at least ten owners. The article gives the continued impression that Goodell was extremely motivated to pushback on the criticism he and the league had received in the media for their handling of the Kaepernick situation. The same source said Goodell went into “overdrive” behind the scenes after Kaep’s team issued a statement blasting the league in October for the persistent lack of interest despite numerous quarterback injuries.

All this new reporting would seem to go against the narrative that the workout was a tightly-kept secret in league circles. Obviously the organization of the actual workout itself was haphazard, and it ended up falling apart. Not that this is any surprise, but sources also told JLC that the Nevada product has “yet to receive any feelers” from teams after the workout, which is consistent with everything we’ve heard up to this point.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Interested In Owning NFL Team

November 10th, 2019 at 2:47pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The CEO and founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, is interested in purchasing an NFL team, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. While Bezos is most associated with Amazon, the mogul also recently purchased the Washington Post. The multi-billionaire is one of the richest people in the world and would not have trouble finding the capital necessary to buy an NFL franchise.

According to La Canfora’s report, Bezos has built close relationships with a number of current owners and watched last year’s Super Bowl in commissioner Roger Goodell’s suite. Considering all new owners need to receive approval from current ownership groups, it bodes well for his chances if he has allies in the league.

Bezos has become especially close with Washington’s owner Dan Snyder. His relationship with Snyder coincides with his own move to Washington, where Snyder remains a polarizing figure. Snyder, of course, has been trying to build a new stadium in downtown D.C. and given Bezos’ expanded role in the area, the two could team up on the project.

While no teams are currently up for sale, La Canfora speculates the Seahawks and Broncos as two that could be headed to the market soon. Bezos has been based in Seattle for many years, making the Seahawks a prime target.

Latest On CBA Discussions, Jerry Jones’ Involvement

July 2nd, 2019 at 5:27pm CST by Rory Parks

There is plenty of reason for optimism right now with respect to a new collective bargaining agreement, and we even heard today that the league and the union hope to have a new agreement hammered out before the 2019 regular season gets underway. While that is far from a certainty at this point, it’s at least encouraging that the two sides are actively trying to avoid a work stoppage like the one we saw in 2011.

One of the key figures in this round of negotiations is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Jones has taken a more visible and vocal role this time around after watching Patriots owner Robert Kraft take charge back in 2011. Jones reportedly wants a large share of the credit for getting the next deal done, though it’s unclear whether his involvement will facilitate matters or throw a wrench into the works.

Indeed, Florio reports that, at a recent bargaining session, Jones and Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander had a “spirited discussion” about player health and safety that created some friction. And Jones’ very public campaign against commissioner Roger Goodell in 2017 could be a source of tension, though Florio says the two men have largely reconciled.

One of the issues that Jones, his fellow owners, and the NFLPA will have to resolve is stadium credits. Albert Breer of TheMMQB (Twitter link) notes that media deals will also be a major topic of conversation — the league’s current broadcast deals expire in 2023, and the emergence of streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix will greatly complicate matters — and the revenue split between owners and players will be revisited.

Florio suggests that a new CBA is not likely to be agreed upon by the start of the season, and Breer likewise hears that the meetings that have taken place so far have been to identify issues, not necessarily to resolve them. Perhaps more substantive work will get done at the bargaining sessions that are currently scheduled for July 17-19.

Florio does indicate that Goodell is hoping to parlay the new CBA into a new round of media deals and then retire not long thereafter. The CBA and the network deals could be done, if not by the start of the season, then at least before the Super Bowl in February.

Ezekiel Elliott On Meeting With Commissioner

July 2nd, 2019 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Parks

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott met with commissioner Roger Goodell today to discuss a May incident in Las Vegas during which Elliott was briefly detained by police after bumping a security guard. After the summit with Goodell, Elliott released the following statement on Twitter:

“Earlier today, I met with the Commissioner to share with him what occurred in Las Vegas and what I have learned from that incident. I’ve worked hard to make better decisions and to live up to the high standards that are expected of me. I failed to do that here and I made a poor decision. I apologized to [security guard] Kyle Johnson at the time and I meant it. I need to work harder to ensure that I do not put myself in compromised situations in the future. I am rededicating myself to use all of the resources that the league has made available. But in the end, it is up to me and I am determined not to be in this position again.”

Elliott certainly sounds like a man who has gotten a thorough talking-to, and his contrition may be enough to stave off a suspension. Given Elliott’s track record, though, Goodell may well have warned the two-time rushing champion that even minor incidents like this one could be more damaging to him than they would be to a player without a disciplinary history.

Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder said he does not expect Zeke to be hit with a suspension (Twitter link), and Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says that no criminal charges are expected to be filed. Hill also reports that Johnson hugged Elliott and took a picture with him after the incident, though he later requested a sincere apology.

Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network also hears from league sources that Elliott is unlikely to be suspended, and that the meeting with Goodell was more of an opportunity for the commissioner to warn Elliott to keep himself out of potentially troublesome situations going forward (video link). Interestingly, Garafolo adds that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sent team counsel to the meeting, even though such meetings are generally attended by an NFLPA rep and/or the player’s own lawyer. Jones and Goodell have apparently reconciled enough to work together on the new CBA, but matters involving Elliott still seem to be sensitive for Jones.

Latest On NFL CBA Talks, Gambling

June 24th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

More steam is building toward a future without another NFL lockout. After a report indicating the league is increasingly motivated to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement by September to avoid the prospect oc contentious talks hanging over its 100th season, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes both sides are motivated on this front.

Part of this motivation stems from the revenue streams that legalized gambling can create, with La Canfora adding many owners are eager to see what an increased relationship with gambling can do for the league. A 2018 Supreme Court ruling opened the door to states making inroads on the gambling front, and state legislatures across the country are acting accordingly.

While a gambling component infiltrating the league could be years away, JLC adds this is being seen as a “billion-dollar” game-changer that could see future salary caps spike. The cap has gone up by approximately $10MM for most of this decade, but the new CBA — which will coincide with new television agreements and, potentially, an increased relationship with sports betting — could change that for the better.

Another sign the NFL and NFLPA are making strides: key members of both parties met recently in Chicago to discuss the CBA, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. This June 12 gathering was the third CBA-related meeting of this cycle, Breer adds, noting Roger Goodell, union chief DeMaurice Smith and select players and owners were in attendance. The other meetings occurred on April 9 and May 8, in Minneapolis and New York, respectively. A July meeting is tentatively scheduled.

Additionally, the NFLPA’s executive committee stayed in Chicago for a June 13 strategy session, per Breer. The current agreement does not expire until March 2021. The fact that the sides are meeting regularly this early points to, despite the frequent acrimony between the league and the union, a greater chance the NFL avoids the work stoppage that defined 2011.