Sources: Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones argued heatedly over Roger Goodell’s contract

Patriots and Cowboys owners exchanged words before voting to open negotiations on a new commissioner deal

NEW YORK — The owners of the NFL They voted 31-1 Tuesday to allow their compensation committee to begin negotiations on a new contract with the commissioner Roger Goodellbut not before two of the most powerful owners in the league, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys Y Robert Kraft of the New England Patriotswill be involved in a heated discussionmultiple league and ownership sources told ESPN.

The sources said that kraft joined the overwhelming majority in strong support for the measure, with jones as the only dissenter in the owners exclusive session, eventually telling kraft“I don’t[…]”.

kraft He replied, “Excuse me?”

“Don’t mess with me,” he said jones.

The measure was later approved, the sources said. The NFL and a spokesman for the cowboys they declined to comment. A spokesman for the patriots he did not immediately provide a team comment.

This is not the first time jones speak out and oppose a new contract for Goodell63, and the sources said his problem remains the same: the compensation structure of Goodell. In 2017, Goodell signed a new agreement for five years that was different from the previous ones. jones spearheaded an effort that restructured the contract of Goodell from being mostly salary to mostly performance-based bonuses. Various committees made up of owners determine whether they believe Goodell has met the goals and objectives.

jones is concerned that the criteria for the bond fund of Goodell in the new contract are too vague and not tied to a strict set of financial metrics and targets without more rigorous review, the sources said. “He believes in good corporate governance and wants accountability for financial goals tied to bonuses. Roger“said a source familiar with the thought of jones. “It is sensible to grant a large bonus to Roger before he works and earns it.” The source added that, in the past, jones thought that the financial objectives of Goodell they were too “lazy”.

The source denied that the outburst of jones was related to some lingering animosity between kraft Y jones.

The 31-1 vote indicates that most owners want Goodellwho has been in office since 2006, continue as commissioner for the near future, and that he wants to continue in that position. One owner told ESPN that the committee might consider a contract two to three years.

In the years after he received his last contract, Goodell helped usher in a new contract 10-year collective bargaining with the players’ union that added a seventeenth game to the season, helped ensure that the NFL didn’t miss a game during the COVID-19 pandemic, and secured long-term broadcast deals with new and existing partners worth more than $100 billion. The popularity of NFL is unquestionable despite myriad concerns about the players’ long-term health, a lawsuit from St. Louis over the Rams’ move to Los Angeles that ended in a $790 million settlement, and repeated scandals and investigations into the Washington Commanders and its owner Dan Snyder.

The New York Times reported last year that the total compensation for Goodell during a two-year period from 2020 to 2021 it was almost 128 million.

Goodell he has said in the past that he doesn’t want to be seen as someone who stays in office too long. ESPN reported in 2017 that Goodell told some owners that he would be leaving after his next deal, the contract collective work and negotiations for rights. “I’m here to help you with that,” he said. Goodell to some owners. “After that, they should start having a conversation.”