Roger Goodell Signs New NFL Contract, Latest Details on Expiration Date Ahead of 2026 Season

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be holding on to his position through the end of the decade.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter , NFL teams were notified on Sunday that Goodell signed a new four-year contract extension through the 2030 season that will expire on March 31, 2031. Schefter added that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, chairman of the Compensation Committee, sent a memorandum announcing the news.

"Throughout the negotiation process, the Committee worked closely with an independent third-party compensation consultant and outside counsel to structure a deal that aligns Roger's compensation with the League's long-term interests and success," Kraft wrote. "To that end, the agreement is heavily performance based, with more than 95% of the total compensation tied to Roger's and the NFL's performance measured against various metrics and at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. We believe we are very fortunate to have Roger at the helm for the next four years."

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Schefter pointed out that the NFL's current collective bargaining agreement with the players also expires in March 2031, lining up with the end of Goodell's contract.

Per Jayna Bardahl and Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, this marks Goodell's fifth contract extension. His last extension was signed in 2023 and was set to expire in March 2027.

Goodell has been the commissioner of the NFL since 2006, the eighth person in league history to hold the position. He succeeded the late Paul Tagliabue, who held the position for 17 years. By the time Goodell's new contract expires, he will be nearly 72 years old and will have held the position for 24 years .

Throughout his tenure, Goodell has overseen a period of immense financial success in the NFL. Sportico's Eben Novy-Williams and Kurt Badenhausen reported that the league is on track to surpass $25 billion in revenue by 2027, fulfilling a goal Goodell set in 2010, when league revenue was around $8 billion. Last month, the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were sold to a group led by the Khosla family for $9.612 billion, the highest purchase price ever for an NFL team.

Goodell has also helped the NFL grow globally, with the league set to play a record nine international games across seven countries during the 2026 season.

It's clear that the league is confident that Goodell can help it reach even greater heights through the remainder of his tenure at the helm.