NFL commissioner has reportedly decided to waive his salary this month and will implement pay cuts for other high-earning employees due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Associated Press says Goodell will not take home a penny in wages this month, which could be as much as £2m as his salary usually adds up to around £24m a year, including bonuses.
Goodell has voluntarily waived this month's wages, and has also introduced pay cuts for the bigger earners in the league, ranging from five percent at a management level up to 15 percent for executive vice presidents.
In a memo quoted by the AP, Goodell says that no employee earning under $100,000 will be affected, with only the very highest earners taking the cuts.
"We hope that business conditions will improve and permit salaries to be returned to their current levels, although we do not know when that will be possible," Goodell is quoted as saying by the AP.
Goodell also said that employees who are unable to do their jobs from home will be furloughed.
“The NFL is not immune to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is our obligation to take responsible steps to protect the business and manage through this crisis as effectively as possible.
"These decisions were difficult and we know these measures will cause hardship for those impacted. I encourage everyone to continue to identify ways of operating more efficiently and reducing costs. If we do that, I believe that furloughs and compensation reductions can be limited, or in time even reversed."
“I assure you that we will continue to monitor economic conditions, communicate with you promptly and openly - whether the news is good or bad - and have your interests in mind as decisions are made going forward.”
The NFL hasn't publicly confirmed the move as yet.
More NFL content from Sporting Life
