Editorial

Jerry Jones Might Sue The NFL Over Goodell Contract Extension

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears hellbent on making sure commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t get a contract extension, and now might sue the league.

Jones attempting to stop a contract extension isn’t new, but it seems like the hiring of high profile attorney David Boies is a significant escalation.

ESPN reported the following late Wednesday:

Jones has not identified the grounds of such a lawsuit, but one source said Jones is exploring whether a requirement that two-thirds of owners must approve a commissioner’s contract could be increased to three-fourths of owners. Another source said that Boies also might be asked by Jones to produce a report showing the negative economic impact that Goodell’s major decisions, including player discipline, have had on clubs.

This is not a good look for the NFL at all. You can’t have the league’s most high profile lawyer appearing to be on the verge of suing the NFL commissioner. There hasn’t been any on the record indication of why Jones is being such a thorn in Goodell’s side, but it very well could have something to do with the fact he suspended Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games. This would seem to follow the latter part of the report about player discipline decisions. That suspension is still working its way through the courts.

Jones is arguably the most powerful owner in all of sports, and this is about to become a test case for whether or not a man of his magnitude is capable of single-handedly dictating NFL decisions. Nobody will ever get it done if Jones can’t.

Let the drama unfold right in front of all the fans.

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