By Bob Harkins, Devon Henderson and Dan Pompei
Paul Tagliabue, who served as NFL commissioner for 17 years, a period in which the league expanded geographically and boomed in popularity, died Sunday morning at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 84.
The cause of death, according to a statement from his family, was heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease.
Tagliabue had served as a lawyer for the league when team owners chose him to succeed Pete Rozelle as commissioner in 1989. He held the position until Sept. 1, 2006.
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“All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success,” current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Throughout his decades-long leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as outside counsel and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as commissioner, Paul served with integrity, passion and an unwavering conviction to do what was best for the league.
“During his Hall of Fame NFL career, Paul fostered labor peace with our players, oversaw the expansion of the league to 32 teams, ushered in an era of state-of-the-art stadiums and laid the important groundwork of establishing the league as a global brand.”
Under Tagliabue, the NFL added four teams — the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), the Cleveland Browns (1999, replacing the previous team with the same name that moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens) and the Houston Texans (2002). He also oversaw multiple relocations beyond the Browns’ move to Baltimore, as the Rams and Raiders both left Los Angeles — for St. Louis and Oakland, respectively — and the Oilers left Houston for Tennessee and were rebranded as the Titans.
The NFL also saw relative labor peace under Tagliabue, with no player strikes after two (1982, 1987) under Rozelle. Much of that was due to him persuading the NFLPA to agree to a free-agency salary cap. He negotiated with team owners to agree to revenue sharing, which allowed for better economic competitiveness between small-market and big-market teams.
“He was a very calming force at times when it was a little bit tumultuous in terms of what we were trying to do in negotiations,” former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Tagliabue in 2020, said on CBS on Sunday. “This guy was very much a clairvoyant leader of the National Football League, and his impact will always be felt.”
The NFL Today remembers NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue pic.twitter.com/qkPwqZ9o8U
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“I am forever grateful and proud to have Paul as my friend and mentor,” Goodell said. “I cherished the innumerable hours we spent together where he helped shape me as an executive but also as a man, husband and father.”
Tagliabue’s survivors include his wife, Chandler; son, Drew; and daughter, Emily.
Under Tagliabue, there was more of everything
The best way to appreciate Tagliabue’s impact is from a 10,000-foot view. What he did was enrich the soil and provide water and sunlight for the NFL’s remarkable growth.
Before Tagliabue, there was no free agency. Under his stewardship, a collective bargaining agreement was reached that introduced free agency and a salary cap. His bosses — NFL owners — didn’t mind sharing the wealth because there was more of it to share.
The first television contract Tagliabue negotiated was worth $3.6 billion. The last was worth $24 billion. Along the way, he accepted a deal with the then-relative upstart Fox to broadcast NFC games, moving those games off of established CBS.
There were more of everything with Tagliabue, including teams (four expansion teams were established during his tenure), exposure (the league added Sunday night and Thursday night games), reach (he oversaw the initiation of NFL Europe with six teams overseas) and new stadiums (teams, with help from the league, built 20 of them during the Tagliabue era). — Dan Pompei, Senior Writer
Controversial handling of the concussion issue
Despite Tagliabue’s many contributions, he was a controversial Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate, and it took nine years of eligibility before he was inducted as part of the centennial Class of 2020.
Most of the pushback stemmed from his public stance regarding concussions. He once said that he considered concussions “pack journalism issues,” and said, “There is no increase in concussions, the number is relatively small … The problem is a journalist issue.”
Later in life, Tagliabue apologized for his stance, calling it “intemperate” language. He was also criticized for naming Dr. Elliot Pellman to lead the NFL’s mild traumatic brain injury committee. Pellman was a rheumatologist who didn’t have extensive experience with head trauma cases. — Pompei
The lasting impact of the Rooney Rule
Tagliabue is rightfully celebrated for his 2003 implementation of the Rooney Rule, which required teams with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority candidate.
It wasn’t the perfect solution to the lack of minority advancement in the league’s coaching ranks. Still, it was a step forward in that it raised awareness of the problem, created more transparency in hirings, and raised the profiles of many minority coaches.
Among the head coaches hired after the rule’s implementation were Mike Tomlin by the Steelers and Ron Rivera of the Panthers. It has since been expanded to include other positions on NFL teams, and in 2022, the rule was changed to include women as a part of the minority candidate definition. — Pompei
Sports figures share thoughts on Tagliabue’s legacy
Reactions began to emerge Sunday as news of Tagliabue’s death spread across the sports world.
The New York Giants called the former commissioner a leader adept at collaboration and building unity. “He will be remembered as one of the greatest commissioners in professional sports.”
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement that he “always respected Paul’s intellect, his unwavering commitment to the game, and his deep understanding of the broader impact our sport could have beyond the field and across the fabric of life for fans and our country.”
Said Steve Hatchell, President and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame: “His impact reached far beyond the NFL, extending to every level of football, including the college ranks, where his steady leadership and forward-thinking vision helped forge relationships that helped strengthen our sport for future generations. His enduring commitment to education and excellence included endowing an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, a lasting testament to his belief in the power of football to develop future leaders.”
And commissioners in other sports also paid their respects. In a statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver referred to Tagliabue as a “mentor and friend” and praised him as a “selfless leader throughout his life and career.” Meanwhile, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said: “On a personal level, I considered Paul a valued colleague and I appreciated the many occasions on which we collaborated professionally or connected socially.”
The Athletic’s Washington Commanders beat writer Nicki Jhabvala contributed to this story.