Jerry Jones, Roger Goodell Say It's All Good Between Them

The tension had dissipated. So too, apparently, had the anger.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had settled all their disagreements by the time they met with the media Wednesday afternoon at the Four Seasons hotel, where the NFL owner's meetings were held.

While Goodell answered a wide-range of league-related questions from the media, Jones stood about 10 feet to his left listening intently.

Goodell insisted he had no issues with Jerry, even though the Cowboys' owner had submitted a resolution allowing him to address Goodell's contract extension and raise his concerns about the deal with his fellow owners at Wednesday's meeting.

"My relationship with Jerry is great. We don't always agree. I'm not paid to agree," Goodell said. "As a league we're stronger when 32 teams are together. We have our difference but we work together to solve those differences."

Goodell, who spoke for about 10 minutes, addressing his relationship with Jerry, who has been critical of him over the past several months.

"Do I look like I take it personally? Jerry, do I look like I take it personally? "The commissioner asked, glancing toward the Cowboys' owner.

"No."

The reality is why shouldn't Goodell be happy. His contract, reportedly worth $200 million over five years, is now official. So what if it's about 90 percent based on incentives.

Do you really think a man as smart as Goodell is going to sign a deal where he's not pretty much assured of getting his cash? Of course not.

But if that's what it took for him to allow Jerry to save face, then so be it.

As Goodell exited the ballroom, he and Jerry exchanged handshakes and hugs. That moment reminded of the love fest between Jerry and former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson at Valley Ranch in 1994 when they parted ways only to spend the bulk of the next 20 years taking shots at each other.

"If you're part of his league as an owner, commissioner or player,"  Jerry said. "you have to come down on each other. I know how much Roger Goodell loves the National Football Leagues - and he should love it even more now."

Jerry smiled because his master plan - taking power from the commissioner and returning it to the owners - seems to be well under way.

Whether the incentives in Goodell's contract are deemed difficult or easy to reach, Jerry can publicly claim at least a little victory.

Now, all of the owners will be involved the evaluation of whether he achieved the incentives outlined for him, and they're expected to be tied to factors such as league revenues, TV ratings and handling of off-field controversies.

That's a victory of sorts for him too.

Bottom line: Jones wants the owners to have more power over the commissioner.

"This exercise of extending Roger has brought that about. That's the way I see it, and it's going to be," Jerry said. "I want to emphasize. I didn't do it. It took the will of 32 owners to get that done.

"We're doing good, but we need some areas we need to change. One of them is an antiquated constitution and an antiquated situation as to power of the commissioner and this will address that."

Jerry, however,  wants folks to know he doesn't deserve too much credit for trying to implement change.

Whatever.

Jerry has been upset with Goodell since running back Ezekiel Elliott received a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy in August.

Lawsuits kept Elliott on the field for eight games before the courts finally compelled him to serve his suspension. Jerry was angry about Elliott's suspension, in part, because the commissioner reportedly told him the Cowboys' star running back would not get suspended.

When asked did you lead Jerry to believe Elliott wasn't going to get a suspension?

Goodell said, "No."

Goodell, however, did say he was open to changing the way the league disciplines its players. It's a discussion, he said he's been open to having for years.

"Let's address the way we're dealing with discipline because there are better ways to do this? We just haven't come to an agreement on that," Goodell said. "Unfortunately, there's a lot of focus on that, but the reality is there are very few circumstances - they get a lot of attention and I understand that. I'm sure that's something that will come up in the next collective bargaining agreement and we'll consider that."

Less than a year ago, Jones praised Goodell universally to anyone who would listen. Despite the public hugs and smile, their relationship has been damaged.

It'll never be the same because Jerry wants Goodell to relinquish some power. He certainly isn't going to give it away easily, so conflict is about to be the norm.

"They have a term in business called a MAC - material adverse circumstances happen between the time that you shook hands and the time you did the deal," Jerry said. "It's a very valid change of scenery. Anybody who says we haven't had any changes since last spring would be an exaggeration."