When Commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage on Thursday night to open the NFL's annual player selection meeting, known colloquially as the NFL Draft, one of the most cherished traditions in sports will be renewed. He will be booed, heckled, and jeered by the thousands of fans gathered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to witness the live event.
Since succeeding Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner in September 2006, Goodell has overseen the golden age of the league's commercial success and expansion of fan engagement. According to SportsPro, the NFL generated $23 billion in revenue for the 2024 fiscal year. That figure was just under $6 billion the year he took over as commissioner. The NFL Network (including RedZone), the NFL Honors, the diversification of game streaming options, and even moving the NFL Draft to different venues each year were all a direct result of Goodell's leadership.
Despite his objective success, Goodell is often mocked and demeaned by fans and content generators alike. Perhaps the 49ers' owner can relate?
At the recent NFL owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, 49ers owner and CEO Jed York held a rather perfunctory media availability, providing an update on various issues related to the team. Naturally, York was asked for an update on the ongoing contract extension negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy. He shared that while no agreement was imminent, both sides were talking and the process was progressing. But York added one additional descriptor of Purdy that immediately ignited debate among 49ers fans and the quick-take media.
Jed York said Brock Purdy is "a top 10 quarterback."
And just like that, York was thrown under the bus. Some talking heads felt the owner had unnecessarily inflated Purdy's value, and thus the cost it will ultimately take to sign him. Others blamed York for the recent departure of veteran players, arguing that he had orchestrated the changes and weakened the core team.
"We knew that we had to make sacrifices around the roster to make sure that you can pay a quarterback," York told NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
The hysteria surrounding York's comments is unique to him; 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have both said much the same about Purdy. And there is no reliable reporting to suggest that Lynch and Shanahan aren't the ones fully behind the recent exodus of players.
York's comments were in no way a verbal gaffe. In the context of an ongoing negotiation with a high-profile quarterback, what else is he supposed to say?
But much like Goodell, when it comes to York, there is always a bit of misplaced judgment and criticism, no matter the level of achieved success.
York became the 49ers' CEO in 2008; he became the principal owner last year. In the interim, he evolved from an inexperienced and impatient executive into a savvy and deliberative one. The same York who simply couldn't look past Jim Harbaugh's shortcomings has been more than tolerant of Kyle Shanahan's. His tribulations have taught him that high-quality coaches are hard to come by, so he must trust the process and let them be. Under York's leadership, the 49ers have appeared in seven NFC Championship Games and three Super Bowls. He has made the financial investments, built a world-class stadium, and been strategically aggressive in free agency. York has done everything that he can conceivably do to secure that elusive sixth championship.
York's detractors will often note that he signed off on the hirings of Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly. That's true. It's also true that he hired Harbaugh, Lynch, and Shanahan; criticism and credit sometimes run in the same direction.
While it is true that disdain for NFL owners is not unusual among NFL fans, those feelings are generally justified. For example, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is frequently ridiculed for his ineptitude and cartoonish approach to running his team. The Cowboys haven't appeared in a Super Bowl in 30 years. By contrast, York has performed significantly better at his job and should be revered by 49ers fans and media figures alike, or at minimum, be given the benefit of the doubt when discussing the team publicly. He has rightfully earned a degree of deference.
While his leadership of the 49ers is in no way flawless, the verbal jabs often directed at York are not commensurate with how he's conducted himself. It's time to put some respect and appreciation on the name of Jed York.