The internal conflict between Jerry Jones, Roger Goodell and NFL owners is reaching new levels of ugly.
Jerry Jones has been very critical of Roger Goodell’s handling of big issues like the anthem protests, player suspensions, and declining TV ratings, and has lobbied against extending Goodell’s contract.
The owners responded to Jones’s antics by threatening to take away his franchise, which triggered Jones to demand a special league meeting on November 28th. In the letter Jones states the following:
[The NFL] has undergone unprecedented upheaval in the last two years, including a significant decline in television ratings, increased advertiser discontent, high-profile litigation concerning player suspensions, and decreasing ticket sales.”
“This is not the time for the League to undertake massive contractual obligations which are inconsistent with the League’s performance
Jones’s letter also mentioned “severe threats of retaliation” against him which demonstrates “dysfunction with the current process.” According to sources, the owners are not interested in meeting with Jones on November 28th and instead wants Jones to bring up his grievances at a previously scheduled owners meeting on December 13th.
It looks like Jones is losing his crusade against Roger Goodell and the owners are growing weary of his actions. Jones has often been perceived as one of the most powerful owners in sports, but this conflict has revealed that there are limits to his influence.