Andrew Delaney, a sports law expert with Martin & Associates, said if it became a for-profit entity, the NFL would likely find enough write-offs to offset the savings it would lose along with its tax-exempt status.
"When MLB made the switch from a non-profit, they reported that there was no real change in their tax liability," he said. "If I were running the NFL show, I'd say, 'This isn't worth it.' It's not worth the PR hit it takes."
Because it will no longer operate as a tax exempt entity, the NFL will no longer be required to publicly disclose the commissioner's salary. Goodell's $44 million salary became a point of public contention as the league dealt with various scandals throughout the last year. The league could still elect to disclose his salary in future years, but that seems rather unlikely.