It was thought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had a contract extension in hand through 2022. Now, we learn that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting in the way.
This is going to be fun, right? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has reportedly seen enough of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, or at least isn’t sure if he wants to see more of him. With Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott attempting to fend off a six-game suspension in federal court (and currently being granted a stay, allowing him to play this season), Jones isn’t thrilled with Goodell.
Now, the league’s most powerful owner is making a power play, reportedly stating that Goodell doesn’t deserve an extension of its supposed magnitude. If the report is true, and Schefter is rarely wrong, this could send shockwaves through the NFL.
This could drag on for quite some time, perhaps all the way through Elliott’s case. Jones made it clear this summer that he didn’t believe the NFL had any evidence against Elliott. The league, which went after Elliott for alleged domestic abuse among other incidents, is sticking by its original findings that banned Elliott for more than a third of the season.
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Jones has long been one of the more outspoken owners in sports. Buying the Cowboys from Bum Bryant in 1989, Jones has won three Super Bowls as both owner and general manager of the club. However, since 1995, Dallas has not reached an NFC Championship Game. It’s the longest drought from that level of advancement in franchise history.
It will be fascinating to see if Jones or Goodell wins this power struggle. Considering the way Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots also feels about Goodell, this could be a tipping point.