NFL Commissioner Goodell earned $34 million in 2014

NEW YORK – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell earned just over $34 million for 2014, according to the league’s tax filing released Tuesday.

That total is actually down a bit from 2013 ($35 million) and 2012, when Goodell collected $44.2 million, including $9 million in bonuses and deferred pension.

The payments for 2014 – a difficult season for the league and the commissioner that involved high-profile player misconduct cases and a revamping of the NFL conduct policy – included a $26.5 million bonus negotiated the previous year.

The league office is no longer classified as a tax-exempt organization. Last year, the NFL decided to change the tax status of the office and to file tax returns as a taxable entity. So the filing released Tuesday is the final one the NFL will be required to make public.