National Football
League roundup

[July 02, 2016]   July 1 (The Sports Xchange) - The NFL paid commissioner Roger Goodell nearly $32 million in fiscal year 2015, a drop from $34.1 million the previous year.

Goodell, who became commissioner in 2006, was paid $44 million in 2013, which included base salary and bonuses as well as pension and other deferred payments.

According to the Sports Business Daily, the 2015 figure of $31.74 million is based on the last tax return filed by the NFL. Goodell's salary will no longer need to be made public since the league changed its status from exempt to taxable.

In the 10 years in which his commissioner salary has been disclosed, Goodell has made an average of $21.5 million a year and a total of $212.5 million.

The NFL's next-highest paid executive in 2015 was general counsel Jeff Pash with a salary of $6.5 million, down from $7.5 million in 2014.

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The NFL suspended Baltimore Ravens tight end Darren Waller for the first four games of the 2016 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, the league announced Friday.
 

Waller will be eligible to return to the Ravens' active roster on Monday, October 3 following the team's October 2 game against the Oakland Raiders.

Waller played in six games last season, including one start, and had two receptions for 18 yards.

Waller is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

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The Chicago Bears claimed quarterback Connor Shaw off waivers.

Apparently, the New Orleans also wanted to claim Shaw, and thought they had claimed him. But a clerical error prevented the Saints from landing Shaw, who was then claimed by the Bears, who were positioned ahead of the Saints in the waiver order. (Editing by Andrew Both)

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