Paul Tagliabue, who served as the NFL’s commissioner for 17 seasons, died Sunday morning at the age of 84.

Per Tagliabue’s family, the apparent cause of death was heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease. He passed away at his home in Chevy Chase, Md.

Tagliabue replaced Pete Rozelle as the NFL’s commissioner in 1989. He was succeeded by current commissioner Roger Goodell in 2006.

Under Tagliabue’s watch, the league signed what was then the largest television contract for the NFL, enjoyed 17 seasons of labor peace, and expanded to 32 teams after adding the Carolina Panthers (1995), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), the reborn Cleveland Browns (1999) and Houston Texans (2002).

Tagliabue, who also ushered in an era of state-of-the-art stadiums, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of F

See Full Page