NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took a nearly $9 million pay cut for the 2013-14 season but still earned more than every player except Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, CNN reported on Tuesday. Goodell earned $35 million to run the most popular sports league in the United States, down nearly 21 percent compared to the $44.2 million he made the previous season, according to the report that cited a new tax filing. Only two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Rodgers, who took home $38.3 million that season thanks to a huge signing bonus, made more than Goodell, the report said.
In the 2013-14 season, the NFL likely had revenue of about $10.5 billion, according to the CNN report.
CNN also said that over the six seasons for which data is available, Goodell collected $140 million, more than any NFL player has been paid over the same period.
The NFL had to disclose Goodell’s pay because during the 2013-14 season it operated as a not-for-profit organization, dispersing profits to the league’s 32 teams.
Last year the NFL dropped its not-for-profit status and is no longer required to disclose the commissioner’s pay.
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