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Paul Tagliabue dies at 84: NFL community pays tribute to former NFL Commissioner

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Around the NFL Staff
NFL.com

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue died Sunday at the age of 84, the league announced.

“All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Sunday.

“Throughout his decades-long leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as outside counsel and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as commissioner, Paul served with integrity, passion and an unwavering conviction to do what was best for the league.

“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game -- tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL. He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of what was best for the greater good, a principle he inherited from Pete Rozelle and passed on to me."

Tagliabue was NFL Commissioner from 1989 to 2006 and oversaw the league's tremendous growth during his tenure, including the expansion to 32 teams and the current eight-division landscape it plays in today. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Tagliabue's death prompted an outpouring of remembrance from the NFL and football community on Sunday.

Below is a collection of tributes to an NFL pioneer from teams and figures around the league:

Statement from Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO Jim Porter:

“The mission of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is to honor the greatest of the game -- whether they play, coach or contribute – and Commissioner Paul Tagliabue certainly can be counted among its foremost contributors. Many will remember how he skillfully led the League’s widely respected and appropriate response to the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. Also noteworthy: the labor peace the League enjoyed under his tenure, record broadcast deals, the establishment of international games and the expansion to the current 32 NFL teams.

"You simply cannot tell the history of the National Football League without repeated praise of the job Paul Tagliabue did as commissioner, and also as the league’s lead attorney before taking that top role. Our deepest condolences go to his wife, Chan, and the entire Tagliabue family.”