Goodell signs extension
Commissioner Roger Goodell signed a contract extension with the NFL through 2024, ending weeks of speculation that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — angry about the suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott — might be able to derail that process.
The news of Goodell’s extension, first reported by ProFootballTalk.com, was confirmed in a memo sent to clubs by the NFL’s compensation committee.
All 32 owners approved in May the compensation committee’s power to negotiate and sign a deal with Goodell, who replaced Paul Tagliabue in 2006. Since then, the league’s total revenues have more than doubled to $14 billion.
A person familiar with the contract told the Associated Press it is worth almost $200 million, with a base of $40 million.
Goodell earned nearly $32 million in 2015, the last year in which public records for the NFL are available. — Sam Farmer Manning starting
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning is back as the New York Giants’ starting quarterback. Benched a week ago by former coach Ben McAdoo, Manning was put back into the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys by interim coach Steve Spagnuolo.
“My gut right now says Eli should be the starter,” Spagnuolo said in explaining the move after practice Wednesday.
Steelers unhappy
The Pittsburgh Steelers are confused and frustrated about the league’s decision to uphold rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s onegame suspension for an illegal hit on Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict while granting Bengals cornerback George Iloka’s appeal of his one-game ban for a helmet-tohelmet hit on Steelers star Antonio Brown in the final minutes of Pittsburgh’s 23-20 victory Monday night.
“We’ve been very consistent,” executive vice president of operations Troy Vincent said during a conference call Wednesday.
Not according to the Steelers.
“They screwed it up,” guard Ramon Foster said. “You say you’re concerned over player safety, but you had a guy who blatantly had a helmet-to-helmet and didn’t get suspended. You had a guy that just did a taunting and you try to justify it by suspending him. That’s not player safety.”
Meanwhile, Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has been transferred from a Cincinnati hospital to Pittsburgh to continue treatment for a spinal injury suffered during Monday night’s game.
Etc.
Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters was suspended by the Chiefs for Sunday’s game against Oakland after throwing an official’s flag into the stands.