Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones stands with his players before the national anthem prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals in September. Photo by Art Foxall/UPI |
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones alleged in a letter sent to fellow NFL owners by his attorney that they are being misled about details surrounding the ongoing negotiations to extend league commissioner Roger Goodell's contract.
Cowboys general counsel Jason Cohen sent the letter to the lawyer representing the owners on the league's compensation committee on Wednesday, maintaining that Jones found "a number of very concerning issues" while he was a member of the committee discussing Goodell's extension.
Jones was terminated as a non-voting, ad-hoc member of the league's compensation committee on Saturday night by the committee chairman, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
Blank's reasoning for the termination was Jones' intention to sue the league and members of the committee, expressed during a Nov. 2 conference call.
The letter sent by Jones' attorney was obtained by ESPN and the New York Times.
In the letter, Blank is alleged to have originally told committee members, including Jones, that the committee's recommendation to extend Goodell would be unanimous.
However, ESPN reports that the committee currently is not in unanimous agreement about Goodell's contract, which is reportedly in the final stages.
Jones claims that Blank has since backtracked on the promise of a unanimous decision by the committee.
"Commissioner Goodell's contract extension is a substantial commitment by the Owners, as more than $200 million is at stake, on top of the $200 million already paid to him," the letter reads, according to ESPN. "This is in addition to the unique and largely unfettered power exercised by the Commissioner. Ownership can't have the Chairman let us down again."
The league's current compensation committee consists of Blank, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, New York Giants owner John Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II.
Jones' relationship with Goodell has turned from once supportive to now contentious after the league's decision to suspend Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott six games for violating the league's personal-conduct policy relating to domestic-violence accusations.
Elliott's suspension was reinstated Thursday when a Manhattan federal appeals court denied a request to delay the league's punishment.
