Nick Piccone
Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported this morning on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is impeding contract negotiations for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Schefter even states that he was told, “If not for Jerry, this deal would be done.”
Fairly interesting timing given the NFL’s suspension to Ezekiel Elliott and the cat-and-mouse game that’s ensued, but Jones has apparently been on a committee regarding Goodell’s salary for months and saying he’s paid way too much. The compensation committee’s next conference call is Wednesday.
Jones certainly isn’t the only one digging into Goodell here. I’d venture to say many fans agree with him, much less the owners and players. Goodell has had a rocky decade as commissioner in terms of public perception, and I wouldn’t be that surprised if more people agreed with Jones’ actions here than not.
“And while certain owners believe [the deal will be done], other aren’t quite as sure thanks to Jones, who has interjected himself on to the NFL’s six-man compensation committee, becoming the unofficial seventh member.
“Jones is now being singled out by some owners and league executives as the reason Goodell does not have the contract extension that many expected to be in place before this season kicked off, per sources. Goodell’s current deal as commissioner expires in 2019.
“The increasingly edgy relationship between Jones and Goodell has sharpened to the point where Goodell’s long-term future as NFL commissioner could come under fire, according to league sources.
“Answers could come soon. Next up is the compensation committee’s conference call Wednesday, which is expected to produce a specific term proposal for Goodell, sources added.”
Jones previously said he wasn’t a member of the compensation committee, according to the report, and Goodell was notified of Jones’ “unofficial” placement on the committee while he was deciding whether or not to suspend Elliott. According to the report, Jones considers himself a representative of all of the other 26 remaining owners who aren’t on the committee. The idea is that the owners don’t want to fire Goodell, they want him to take a pay cut.
You can watch the entire segment from this morning on ESPN below:
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