Roger Goodell’s pay dropped again in 2014, still made a fortune

It says something when you make $34.1 million in a year, and it’s a massive pay cut from the compensation of some previous years.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is many things, and “filthy, stinking rich” is definitely on that list. He made $34.1 million over the 2014 league year according to tax documents, as reported by ESPN’s Darren Rovell. In 2014, the highest base salary in the NFL was Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who each made $17.5 million according to Spotrac. So even the most highly compensated player in 2014 made a little more than half of what Goodell made.

It was a serious pay cut for Goodell, however, which shows how insane his compensation had been before. Goodell made $44.2 million in a 12-month period ending on March 31, 2013. His salary was just $3.5 million but made more than $40 million in bonuses. He made more than $35 million the period after that. Now he’s at just $34.1 million. So his compensation has dropped more than $10 million in the past two years.

Goodell, of course, had a terrible 2014 by almost anyone’s account.

The low point of Goodell’s time as NFL commissioner came in 2014 when he came under extreme scrutiny for mishandling the Ray Rice domestic violence case. Goodell gave Rice only a two-game suspension, which was criticized heavily after a video was released of Rice punching his then-fiancee. Many said Goodell should lose his job. Instead, he made about twice as much as any of his league’s players.

The NFL gave up its tax-exempt status last April, which means Goodell’s salary won’t be public information anymore. But even if the league doesn’t release that information, it’ll be a good bet that Goodell makes a fortune every season he keeps his job.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab