Roger Goodell addresses report about him requesting private jet for life

Roger Goodell may have requested use of a private jet for life as part of his contract extension negotiations with the NFL, but that does not mean he is asking the league to pay for that service.

Last month, a report from ESPN indicated that Goodell wanted a $50 million salary, use of a private jet for life and health insurance coverage for life for his family. In an appearance on CNBC Monday, Goodell was asked about the private plane request. He tried to avoid the question at first before clarifying that he would reimburse the NFL any time he used a private jet owned by the league.

“Anything I’ll have as far as access to an airplane I pay for,” Goodell said.

That is consistent with what Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported about a month ago. In a follow-up to ESPN’s report, Florio clarified that Goodell asked for access to the private plane for life with an understanding that he would reimburse the NFL any time he used it.

Goodell recently signed his five-year extension with the league, and it could pay him up to $200 million in total. NFL players have already been reacting negatively to the terms of the deal, so it’s no wonder he felt inclined to clarify the report about the private jet.