Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has died at the age of 84 years old. His family shared that Tagliabue passed away Sunday morning in Chevy Chase, MD., with his apparent cause of death heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease (according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.)
Tagliabue succeeded Pete Rozelle to serve as the league’s fifth commissioner from November 1989 through September 2006, preceding current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Of note, Tagliabue oversaw the league’s expansion from 28 to 32 teams, as well as an effort to keep the Saints in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
Tagliabue was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its Centennial Class of 2020. He was formally enshrined in August 2021 and is one of four NFL commissioners/presidents to be inducted, along with Joe Carr, Bert Bell, and Rozelle.
During his Hall of Fame induction speech, Tagliabue said: “In examining what makes the NFL so compelling, I always return to the players who make the game what it is. The athletes who thrive in the competitive environment of the National Football League tend to be intensely motivated individuals with clear values and exceptional goals. … We need to respect the players for having these qualities and for what they represent as leaders in sports and in society.”
Goodell released the following statement Sunday following the announcement of Tagliabue’s passing: “All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success.
“Throughout his decades-long leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as outside counsel and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as commissioner, Paul served with integrity, passion and an unwavering conviction to do what was best for the league.
“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game—tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL. He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of what was best for the greater good, a principle he inherited from Pete Rozelle and passed on to me.
“During his Hall of Fame NFL career, Paul fostered labor peace with our players, oversaw the expansion of the league to 32 teams, ushered in an era of state-of-the-art stadiums and laid the important groundwork of establishing the league as a global brand.
“He helped modernize the structure of the league office and its business operations, providing the playbook for the NFL’s strategic embrace of his era’s emerging technologies including cable, satellite and the internet.
“Paul was a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion and guided the league through the challenges of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
“I am forever grateful and proud to have Paul as my friend and mentor. I cherished the innumerable hours we spent together where he helped shape me as an executive but also as a man, husband and father.
“Jane and I extend our heartfelt condolences to entire Tagliabue family, especially Chan, his wife of 60 years, and their children Drew and Emily.”
Tagliabue is survived by his wife, Chandler, and his two children, Drew and Emily.
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