Goodell Received $29m In Compensation From NFL Last Year

Roger Goodell received $29m in compensation from the NFL last year, a salary that tripled from 2011.

NFL owners almost tripled the commissioner’s compensation for the 2011 tax year. The raise made Goodell the highest paid commissioner in US sports.

The League’s most recent tax return, for the year beginning April 1, 2011 an ending March 31, 2012, shows that most of the commissioner’s pay is in the form of a $22.3 million bonus, reports Sports Illustrated.

The NFL endured a lockout in 2011. But Goodell helped work out the new 10-year deal that ended the labor disputes. That deal was followed by new television contracts with CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC.

Goodell’s pay of $29 million compares with his earnings in 2010, which topped $11.6 million. Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and chairman of the league’s compensation committee, defended the massive salary Roger Goodell received. Blank explained:

“The NFL is the most successful and best-managed sports league in the world. This is in no small part due to Roger’s leadership and the value he brings to the table.”

Goodell’s salary is comparable to the highest-paid NFL player, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Brees receives $20 million per season, according to The Guardian.

Goodell took over for Paul Tagliabue, who retired in 2006. Since then, he has helped end the 2011 lockout, as well as the Bountygate scandal of 2012. He has also helped expand the NFL, which will stage regular-season games overseas.

There is no information on how much previous NFL commissioners have been paid. Do you think that Roger Goodell’s compensation of $29 million for one season is too much?