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Pro Football Hall of Famer and Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue died Sunday (November 9) at the age of 84 from heart failure complicated by Parkinson's disease, his family confirmed in a statement to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue died this morning in Chevy Chase, MD., his family announced. He was 84. The apparent cause of death was heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease. Survivors include his wife Chandler, son Drew, and daughter Emily," Schefter wrote on his X account Sunday afternoon.
Tagliabue took over as the NFL's commissioner in 1989, succeeding the late Pete Rozelle, and held the role until 2006, at which point he was succeeded by current NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The NFL's value increased significantly during Tagliabue's tenure with the additions of four franchises -- the Carolina Panthers (1995), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), the present-day Cleveland Browns (1999) and Houston Texans (2002) -- as well as more than two-thirds of the league's 32 teams either playing in or building stadiums that didn't exist prior to him taking over the job.
Tagliabue was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor to the game in 2020, joining Rozelle, Joe Carr and Bert Bell as commissioners/presidents to have received Hall of Fame enshrined.
"In examining what makes the NFL so compelling, I always return to the players who make the game what it is," Goodell said during his Hall of Fame induction speech via ESPN. "The athletes who thrive in the competitive environment of the National Football League tend to be intensely motivated individuals with clear values and exceptional goals. ... We need to respect the players for having these qualities and for what they represent as leaders in sports and in society."