Paul Tagliabue, the former NFL commissioner who steered the league to massive financial success and presided over 17 years of labor peace, died Sunday. He was 84.

Tagliabue died in Chevy Chase, Md. from heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.

“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game — tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL,” Tagliabue’s successor Roger Goodell said in a statement . “He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of what was best for the great good.”

Tagliabue took over for NFL architect Pete Rozelle in 1989. Over the following 17 years, the value of NFL franchises increased exponentially while the league avoided any game-canceling work stoppages.

Tagliabue also

See Full Page