Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue died Sunday at the age of 84, the league announced.
“All of us at the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose leadership and vision set the NFL on a path to unparalleled success,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Sunday.
“Throughout his decades of leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as an outside consultant and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as executive director, 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 unwavering in his dedication to the NFL. He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of the best for the greater good, a principle he inherited from Pete Rozelle and passed on to me.”
Tagliabue was an NFL commissioner from 1989 to 2006 and oversaw the league’s tremendous growth during his tenure, including expansion to 32 teams and the current eight-division landscape in which it plays today. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Tagliabue’s death prompted a flurry of remembrances from the NFL and football community on Sunday.
Below is a collection of tributes to the NFL pioneer from teams and personalities around the league: