Roger Goodell's Successor Reportedly 'Being Speculated' Inside NFL Offices

Roger Goodell's tenure as NFL commissioner could come to an end in the not-too-distant future. 

Per Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, there are "successors being speculated inside the league office" with Goodell's current contract set to expire after the 2023 season. 

Robinson noted some owners "privately don't shy away from talking about what kind of replacement is needed to take the league into its next frontier."

There has been past speculation about who might take over for Goodell whenever his time as commissioner comes to an end.

The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan reported last July that Kevin Warren is seen by people with close ties to the NFL as the league's future commissioner. The 56-year-old, who is African American, took over as commissioner of the Big Ten in January after previously working in the Minnesota Vikings front office.

Before Goodell signed a contract extension in 2017, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the deal "had been a contentious issue" because of "the debate over NFL player protests during the national anthem."

Last week, in response to a video from many NFL players asking the league to support black players and condemn systemic racism, Goodell admitted the NFL was wrong for not listening to its players and said, "We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter."

Per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, team owners were "mostly taken by surprise" by Goodell's response video, as he only informed a few owners prior to its release, but the expectation is "most owners" will support his statement.

Goodell has been NFL commissioner since September 2006. The 61-year-old previously served as chief operating officer under Paul Tagliabue.