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Jones moves on from Goodell feud, still wants to see NFL evolve

Brett Davis / USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears to have put his beef with commissioner Roger Goodell behind him, but he's still intent on making some key changes to the shape of the league.

Jones previously raised concerns about Goodell's contract extension, which will keep him as commissioner until March 2024.

"I know how much Roger Goodell loves the National Football League and he should love it even more right now," Jones said via NFL.com. "He does love this league, there's no question of that in my mind. He's been very good to (the) league.

"As with any organization of any type whether it be business, social, or otherwise, you have to evolve and make changes. And frankly (that's what) this has been about."

Despite putting his point of contention aside, Jones is lobbying for Goodell and the league's owners to make constitutional changes to improve the quality of the NFL going forward.

"This bunch (of owners) is the most qualified people I know to set the course ... for the future of this league," Jones said via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. "That's going to take some constitutional changes. One of the things that we’ve agreed to, and this process did or didn’t influence it, but we’ve agreed to really address this league for some constitutional changes that is the real way to address not only the commissioner and some of these issues, on all areas, that’s the real way to address it is right there on how you affect decisions."

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank added that Jones won't be fighting with Goodell going forward and that his colleague is merely passionate about the league's affairs.

"I don't know that there's a rift going forward," Blank said via ESPN. "I think that Jerry, he loves the league, he loves the Cowboys, he's very passionate about issues that he cares deeply about, which is great. I think it's important to have different voices in the room."

Goodell seems completely at peace with his role as commissioner and doesn't appear to feel any animosity toward Jones or any of the NFL's other owners.

"That's how we operate in the league. We have different views that make us stronger," Goodell said. "I respect that, I respect Jerry, I respect everyone else in that room. They all have strong views about the way we do things, and I think that's made us successful."

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