NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might have the lowest approval rating in sports, except among the owners who keep him employed and sign off on his annual paycheck.
When Goodell's compensation of $44.2 million for the 2012 calendar year was revealed about this time last year, most people did a double take. His 2013 salary, which the Daily Business Journal's Daniel Kaplan uncovered via the NFL's latest tax returns, wasn't quite as much. But it was still more than any player in NFL history has ever made, on a per-year basis.
Goodell made $35 million for the 2013 calendar year, the Daily Business Journal reported. That's basically the same base salary as 2012, the report said, because the $44 million figure from 2012 was bumped up by $9 million in deferred pay.
So arguably the most unpopular commissioner in sports history makes more than any of the league's biggest stars.
It will be interesting to see next year's tax return, which will tell us Goodell's 2014 salary as he was widely criticized for his handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence issue. But despite the public outcries, the reason Goodell remains on the job and makes more than any player in the history of the league is that the NFL is incredibly profitable. The owners are clearly thrilled with the revenue the league makes. So while Goodell's salary seems outrageous, the owners will likely keep paying it as long as their own bank accounts keep growing.
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