Roger Goodell

During his two decades as NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell has built the NFL into a sports, media and cultural leader. Working closely with the league’s 32 teams, he has pursued innovative policies and partnerships that strengthen the game, make football more accessible and drive global growth.

Starting as an intern for Commissioner Pete Rozelle in the early 1980s, Goodell has impacted every facet of the NFL. In 2001, he became the league’s first Chief Operating Officer, driving a generation of fan-friendly stadium innovation, expanding the NFL’s international presence and leading a successful realignment process following the addition of the Houston Texans in 2002.

Upon succeeding Commissioner Paul Tagliabue in 2006, Goodell has focused on strengthening the game for players and fans alike. He has prioritized improving player health and safety through new rules and better equipment, driving down concussions and other major injuries.

Under Goodell’s leadership, the NFL has secured consecutive, ten-year transformative collective bargaining agreements with the NFL Players Association, allowing the league to grow and thrive, enhancing pay and benefits for current and retired players and ensuring decades of labor peace.

In 2021, Goodell negotiated long-term media agreements with CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, NBC and Amazon, which brought Thursday Night Football to a streaming platform for the first time. He has since spearheaded groundbreaking deals with YouTube for NFL Sunday Ticket and Netflix for the NFL’s Christmas games, reaching a generation of younger fans. Goodell helped bring NFL games to fans around the world through a partnership with DAZN to distribute the NFL’s Game Pass International service. He also oversaw the launch of NFL+, the league’s direct to consumer service, as part of the ongoing evolution of NFL Media. The NFL remains the most accessible professional sport, with nearly 90 percent of games on free television, shattering viewership records year after year.

Goodell has brought regular-season games to an increasing number of countries, supported the rise of flag football globally, and launched a program for NFL teams to grow their year-round presence in markets around the world. He moved the NFL Draft from New York to cities and fans across the country and expanded the season, adding regular-season and playoff games.

As the league’s platform continues to grow, Goodell has embraced players who are using their voices to create change and bolstered the NFL’s support for causes like social justice, cancer prevention, domestic violence awareness and the needs of active military, their families and veterans.

Passion for the game, players and fans has been a hallmark of Goodell’s career. A three-sport team captain at Bronxville (NY) High School, Goodell graduated magna cum laude from Washington and Jefferson College in 1981, determined to land a job with the league. He sent dozens of unsolicited application letters before Rozelle took notice, granting Goodell that first internship. This is Goodell’s 43rd season with the NFL.

Goodell is married to Jane Skinner Goodell, and they are the proud parents of twin daughters.