Sources: Jones, Kraft exchange words at meeting

NEW YORK -- NFL owners voted 31-1 connected Tuesday to licence their compensation committee to unfastened negotiations connected a caller declaration with commissioner Roger Goodell, but not earlier 2 of the league's astir almighty owners, the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones and New England Patriots' Robert Kraft, engaged successful a heated exchange, league and ownership sources told ESPN.

The sources said Kraft joined the overwhelming bulk successful beardown enactment for the measure, with Jones the lone dissenter successful the owners-only session, yet telling Kraft, "Don't f--- with me."

Kraft replied, "Excuse me?"

"Don't messiness with me," Jones said.

The measurement past passed, sources said.

The NFL and a Cowboys spokesperson declined comment. A Patriots spokesperson didn't instantly supply a remark from the team.

This isn't the archetypal clip Jones has been outspoken and opposed to a caller declaration for Goodell, 63, and sources said his contented remains the same: the operation of Goodell's compensation. In 2017, Goodell signed a caller five-year woody that was antithetic from his erstwhile ones. Jones led a complaint that restructured Goodell's woody from mostly salaried to mostly bonuses based connected performance. Several committees composed of owners find whether they consciousness Goodell has met goals and targets.

Jones is acrophobic that the triggers for Goodell's projected bonus excavation successful a caller declaration volition beryllium excessively vague and not connected to a strict acceptable of fiscal goals and metrics without a much rigorous review, sources said.

"He believes successful firm bully governance and wants accountability connected the fiscal goals tied to Roger's bonus," said a league root acquainted with Jones' thinking. "He is delicate to awarding a large bonus to Roger earlier helium performs and earns it."

The root added that, successful the past, Jones has thought Goodell's fiscal targets were excessively "vague."

The root denied Jones' outburst was connected to immoderate lingering animosity betwixt Kraft and Jones.

The 31-1 ballot signals that astir owners privation Goodell, who has been successful the occupation since 2006, to proceed arsenic commissioner for the foreseeable aboriginal -- and that helium wants to proceed successful that role. One proprietor told ESPN that the committee mightiness see a two- oregon three-year deal.

In the years since helium received his latest contract, Goodell has helped usher successful a caller 10-year corporate bargaining statement with the national that added a 17th game, helped guarantee that the NFL didn't miss immoderate games during the COVID-19 pandemic and landed semipermanent broadcast deals with caller and existing partners worthy much than $100 billion. The NFL's popularity is unquestioned, contempt myriad concerns astir the semipermanent wellness of players, a suit from St. Louis implicit the Rams' determination to Los Angeles that ended up successful a $790 cardinal colony and repeated scandals and investigations into the Washington Commanders and proprietor Dan Snyder.

The New York Times reported past twelvemonth that Goodell's full compensation implicit a two-year play from 2020 to 2021 was astir $128 million.

Goodell has said successful the past that helium doesn't privation to beryllium considered idiosyncratic who stays successful the occupation excessively long. ESPN reported successful 2017 that Goodell told immoderate owners that helium would locomotion distant aft his adjacent contract, CBA and rights negotiations.

"I'm present for you done that," Goodell told immoderate owners. "After that, you guys should commencement having a conversation."