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Paul Tagliabue cause of death: How did ex-NFL commissioner die? All on health issues
Paul Tagliabue, the second-longest-serving NFL commissioner who guided the league through unprecedented growth from 1989 to 2006, died Sunday
Paul Tagliabue, the second-longest-serving NFL commissioner who guided the league through unprecedented growth from 1989 to 2006, died Sunday morning at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He was 84 years old. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of his death.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, who succeeded Tagliabue, said: “Paul was the ultimate steward of the game — tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL. I am forever grateful and proud to have Paul as my friend and mentor. I cherished the innumerable hours we spent together where he helped shape me as an executive but also as a man, husband and father."
"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," Goodell added.
“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 Tagliabue cause of death
According to Tagliabue's family, the apparent cause of death was heart failure complicated by Parkinson's disease.
Tagliabue's 17-year tenure transformed the NFL into a global powerhouse, expanding to 32 teams with additions like the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns. He navigated crises including the 9/11 attacks, canceling games in solidarity, and Hurricane Katrina, relocating the New Orleans Saints while ensuring their return.
Under his leadership, franchise values multiplied tenfold, bolstered by lucrative media deals and new stadiums, while he fostered labor peace with the NFL Players Association, a feat he called his greatest accomplishment.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on November 24, 1940, Tagliabue earned a law degree from New York University in 1965 and practiced until 1989, when he joined the NFL as a lawyer.
