To be clear, the smart money is still on the traditional model, which means choosing a new leader from the closest confidantes of the incumbent commissioner and owners. With the NFL in such a strong position strategically, it will be hard to build a case for a dramatic departure from the status quo.
But some long-term strategists believe fundamental transformation is in the cards if they play it right. They see a league with capacity to become — with the right leadership — a six-continent leader in content and media. That viewpoint would steer the debate outside of football, sources said, toward Fortune 100 CEO-types who would probably have a shorter tenure, be less personally familiar to most owners and be far more expensive to pay than an internal candidate. In this case, the argument is that a hired-gun CEO would be more creative, aggressive and willing to disrupt traditions than anyone coming out of sports.
“Can the right executive take the NFL from a $25 billion enterprise to a $50 billion enterprise? Is that possible?” said one insider. “If you believe there’s still hockey stick growth on the table, that’s a different conversation.”