Roger Goodell doesn’t have the most enviable job, but his pay certainly is nice.
The NFL commissioner earned $35 million in 2013, according to tax return documents made available to SportsBusiness Daily.
Goodell made $44.2 million in 2012, but $9 million of that came in deferred pay, according to The Daily, making the commissioner’s earnings in 2012 and 2013 relatively equal.
Goodell’s $35 million in compensation largely was bonus-based, with $31 million coming in bonuses. The next-highest-paid NFL executive, general counsel Jeff Pash, made $7.5 million in 2013, $1.3 million of which included deferred pay earned in previous years.
“The Commissioner’s total compensation in 2013 is a fair reflection of his leadership and contributions during the year,” Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who chairs the league’s compensation committee, said in a statement. “Compensation packages for Roger and other senior executives are reviewed annually; accordingly, the compensation committee will conduct a thoughtful review and make a determination of 2014 compensation in March.”
It will be interesting to see if Goodell’s 2014 earnings take a hit after a tumultuous season marred by domestic abuse cases and a child abuse incident. Helping determine that number will be New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who along with Blank and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson make up the three-member compensation committee.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
