Goodell To Reduce Salary If There Is A Work Stoppage
NEW YORK (KDKA/AP) - The current NFL collective bargaining agreement expires March 4, and if there is a work stoppage, commissioner Roger Goodell and chief negotiator Jeff Pash will be taking a big pay cut.
Goodell sent a letter to his staff saying he and Pash will only be paid $1 if there is a lockout.
"Let me emphasize that we are fully committed to doing everything possible to reach a new collective bargaining agreement without any disruption to our business," Goodell said. "The entire senior leadership team stands with me in its commitment to resolving the CBA issues with the player's union.
"While several other executives have also volunteered to make additional reductions to their compensation, I have asked them not to take that step at this time as we continue our negotiating efforts."
Goodell also has asked the league's compensation committee to delay any bonus payments to him until after a deal is reached with the NFL Players Association.
Goodell makes about $10 million a year including bonuses and Pash makes nearly $5 million a year.
NFL owners opted out of the agreement in 2008.
The owners want to reduce the percentage of revenue sharing among the players. Currently, the players receive approximately 60 percent of a team's revenue and the owners want to drop that below 50 percent.
They are also looking to increase the regular season to 18 games, reduce preseason to two games and install a rookie salary cap.
The union wasn't impressed with Goodell's move to reduce his salary.
Union chief DeMaurice Smith tweeted: "NFL executives reducing salaries in the event of a lockout? If we have a deal by Super Bowl, I'll go down to 68 cents."
NFLPA communications director Carl Francis was also not impressed by Goodell's memo.
"I have been around long enough to know that this decision is irrelevant to the process," Francis said. "He should also guarantee there won't be a lockout."
