The investigations and drama surrounding Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder have led the NFL headlines lately, with Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay even saying on Tuesday that Snyder should be removed as an owner– and Irsay thinks the NFL will eventually get the needed votes from owners to make that happen (Additionally, Snyder sent out a letter to all owners on Tuesday denying allegations made in an ESPN report).
Well, there was even more drama involving prominent NFL owners on Tuesday, according to ESPN.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. report that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, “Don’t f*ck with me.”
The exchange occurred at Tuesday’s NFL owner meetings, which featured the owners voting 31-1 to allow their compensation committee to open negotiations on a new contract with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The only owner to oppose the measure was Jones.
The sources said Kraft joined the overwhelming majority in strong support for the measure, with Jones the lone dissenter in the owners-only session, eventually telling Kraft, “Don’t f— with me.”
Kraft replied, “Excuse me?”
“Don’t mess with me,” Jones said.
ESPN adds that Jones “is concerned that the triggers for Goodell’s proposed bonus pool in a new contract will be too vague and not connected to a strict set of financial goals and metrics without a more rigorous review, sources said.”
Jones was very outspoken about Goodell’s contract situation in 2017 as well, and his feelings about Goodell have been made clear for many years now. So, his current stance regarding the contract talks isn’t exactly surprising.
According to The New York Times in 2021, Goodell made nearly $128 million (total) over 2020-21.
[ESPN]
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.