NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly expected to receive multi-year extension

Whatever fans may think of him, the NFL's team owners still like commissioner Roger Goodell, and now it looks like they want him to stick around for another few years.

Goodell and the franchise owners are expected to finalize a multi-year contract extension at next week's owners meetings in Phoenix, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Terms of the deal have not yet been reported, but are expected to be incentive-laden and the richest ever given to any commissioner in any sport.

That likely means Goodell would receive north of the $63.9 million he was reported to have received for the 2020-21 season.

The proposed deal will reportedly be presented by the NFL's compensation committee, which received permission to begin working on the contract last season, to team owners during a special session that Tuesday.

This would be the fourth extension Goodell has received since taking over for former commissioner Paul Tagliabue in 2006, with previous deals coming in 2009, 2012 and 2017. Since that last deal, the NFL has successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA and a $110 billion television rights deal with its existing partners and Amazon. Both deals run through at least 2030.

NFL team values have continued to skyrocket in the meantime, with the most recent team sale being the Denver Broncos for a record $4.5 billion.

Goodell's time hasn't been without turbulence. The scandal surrounding Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has continued to fester and recently looped in Goodell over a previously unknown loan issued to the team. The commissioner also admitted fault for the league's treatment of Colin Kaepernick after receiving criticism for its reaction to the murder of George Floyd.

This could be Roger Goodell's final contract as NFL commissioner

Schefter notes that this upcoming extension could be the 64-year-old Goodell's last as commissioner, as previous commissioners Tagliabue and Pete Rozelle left the job at 65 and 63, respectively.

That means a succession battle could be coming in the next few years. Among the possible internal candidates reported at NFL chief media and business officer Brian Rolapp, executive vice president/football operations Troy Vincent, chief administrator of football operations Dawn Aponte, executive vice president/club business and league events Peter O'Reilly and chief revenue officer Renie Anderson.

External candidates reportedly include Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren and Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff.

Roger Goodell's last NFL extension was much more divisive, thanks to Jerry Jones

A friction-free extension for Goodell would be a significant departure from the last time the NFL went through this process.

Dallas Cowboys owner and frequent Goodell critic Jerry Jones was persistent in trying to kill the five-year deal in 2017, all the way up to when he tried to table negotiations for six months and trigger a secret vote as the league was nearing the finish line.