NEW YORK — Paul Tagliabue, who helped bring labor peace and vast revenues to the NFL during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions, died Sunday from heart failure at 84. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of his death in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Tagliabue, who had developed Parkinson’s disease, served as commissioner from 1989 to 2006 after Pete Rozelle and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of a special centennial class in 2020. Roger Goodell succeeded him.
“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game — tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL,” Goodell said. “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.”
Tagliabue oversaw construction of many new stadiums and negotiated television contracts that added billions to the league’s coffers. There were no labor stoppages during his tenure. Team movements under his watch included two franchises leaving Los Angeles and the Cleveland team’s move to Baltimore, later followed by an expansion team to replace Cleveland. He implemented a strict substance-abuse policy and established the Rooney Rule, requiring teams to interview minority candidates for coaching vacancies — a policy later expanded to front-office and executive roles. When he took office, the league had one Black head coach of the modern era; by 2006 there were seven.
One of his notable decisions came after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he canceled NFL games the following weekend — a choice broadly praised and contrasted with Pete Rozelle’s decision to play games after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Tagliabue also displayed personal compassion, accompanying grieving league colleagues to services after 9/11.
Tagliabue drew criticism over the league’s handling of concussions. In 2017 he apologized for remarks he made in 1994 calling concussion coverage “one of those pack-journalism issues,” saying he regretted the language and that his point had been a need for better data and uniform definitions. Still, concussion recognition, research and treatment lagged for much of his tenure, a problem critics say involved owners’ actions as well as league leadership.
On labor, Tagliabue cultivated a productive relationship with NFL Players Association head Gene Upshaw. Early in his commissionership he insisted on direct involvement in labor negotiations, reducing the role of the Management Council and centralizing final authority in the commissioner’s office. That approach helped stabilize relations and guide the league through growth in the 1990s and beyond. Joe Browne, a longtime NFL executive, said Tagliabue’s insistence on centralized control was key to the league’s rebound.
Tagliabue came to the NFL from Washington law practice. Born Nov. 24, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey, he was a 6-foot-5 captain of Georgetown’s basketball team, graduating in 1962 as one of the school’s leading rebounders, and was a Rhodes scholar finalist. He graduated from NYU Law three years later, worked at the Defense Department, then joined Covington & Burling, where he became the NFL’s Washington lawyer and developed close ties with Rozelle and other officials. He was chosen as commissioner in October 1989 over New Orleans general manager Jim Finks after a contentious search that reflected a split between the league’s old guard and newer owners.
Reserved by nature, Tagliabue often had a cooler relationship with the media than Rozelle and, later, Goodell, who started in the NFL’s public relations department. Colleagues said he pushed constantly for improvements. Art Shell, the Raiders coach who was the modern era’s first Black head coach, praised Tagliabue’s drive to “fix” things and keep the game moving forward.
Tagliabue is survived by his wife, Chandler, son Drew, and daughter Emily.