Jerry Jones backs off litigation threat over Roger Goodell
The saber rattling from Jerry Jones appears over.
For now.
The Dallas Cowboys owner won’t sue the league or its owners, he told USA Today on Tuesday, after making litigation threats over the contract extension of commissioner Roger Goodell. Jones was at odds with Goodell over a laundry list of issues, some of which include the commissioner’s hefty salary, the league office’s stance on players protesting during the national anthem and overall player discipline, particularly the NFL’s controversial handling of Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension.
Jones told Jarrett Bell of USA Today:
“This is not about replacing Roger. It’s a misnomer to say it’s payback for Ezekiel Elliott. It is about the accountability of the commissioner to all of the ownership.”
Some may chuckle over Jones insisting his beef with Goodell wasn’t primarily about Elliott’s suspension over violating the league’s domestic violence policy, especially in wake of ESPN’s report over how the Cowboys owner’s anger boiled over upon hearing about the running back’s punishment. Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson reported that indeed business was the primary driver of Jones’ ire. To sum it up: Are league owners getting a good deal paying a commissioner more than $40 million a year?
Goodell’s deal ends at the end of the 2018 season. It can be extended by a compensation committee of six team owners, a group headed by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
