Nothing is done until it’s done. And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension is still not done.
According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the expectation continues to be that it will be done.
“That’s going to get done,” an unnamed source told Maske. “Roger wants to be there until the spring of 2027.”
“You just know it’s going to get done, and you don’t worry about it,” another unnamed source told Maske. “Do the owners still want him? The answer is yes. Does Roger still want to be there? The answer is yes. It’s no problem.”
But it’s still not done. And it’s not expected to be done in time for next week’s ownership meeting.
And, again, nothing is done until it’s done. For Goodell, the ticking clock builds his leverage. The owners need Goodell, and they have no viable Plan B in place in the event he would decide to walk away.
In April, Goodell addressed his contract status with a surprisingly blunt willingness to move on, if a deal isn’t done before the current deal expires.
“The good news is I love the job and I love what I’m doing,” Goodell said. “We have talked about an extension and we’ll work towards that. If that’s possible, then great. If not, I’ve been really fortunate to be in this job.”
There’s no real reason to think a deal won’t get done. But something is keeping it from being finalized. Unless and until the NFL is willing to let Goodell walk, the NFL won’t get him to budge on whatever the final sticking point(s) might be.
