Overview
- His family said he died Sunday at his Chevy Chase, Maryland home from heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease.
- He led the NFL from 1989 to 2006, succeeding Pete Rozelle and preceding Roger Goodell.
- Under his leadership the league expanded from 28 to 32 teams and introduced free agency and a salary cap alongside major TV deals and new stadium projects.
- He postponed games after the Sept. 11 attacks and pushed for the Saints’ return to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
- He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, even as later scrutiny faulted the league’s concussion response during his tenure.