Don't Let Roger Goodell's New Salary Distract You From His Old Salary

The coronavirus ravaging global sports leagues means that tough times could be ahead for the NFL, so the commissioner himself has decided to work for free with an eye toward bolstering the long-term financial outlook.

The NFL is implementing salary cuts and furloughs across the league today, and part of their plan involves Roger Goodell not taking a monthly salary anymore. That's right, ol' Rog is going to make zero dollars.

Goodell should be recognized within reason for forgoing his regular pay in these trying times, but that shouldn't distract from the fact that Goodell was making a pretty penny over the last many years.

Goodell signed a five-year, $200 million contract in 2017 (!) that was going to pay him $40 million annually, which works out to a monthly salary of around $3.3 million. Rather than going to Goodell, that money can be used to ease the financial burdens on teams and team employees during these strange times.

Going from $40 million a year to...nothing is a sharp change, but we're sure that Goodell will find a way to survive.