Last November, the NFL paid $790 million to settle with St. Louis the Rams relocation lawsuit. Soon, the NFL will finalize the question of how much of the money the Rams will pay.
Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, Commissioner Roger Goodell will preside in the near future over a hearing aimed at resolving the distribution of the financial responsibility between the Rams and the other teams. It’s possible that the matter will be resolved among the owners, without a full-blown hearing.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke agreed to indemnify his partners as to the litigation costs arising from the move. Some owners believe that includes not only litigation costs but also the amount of any settlement or judgment. Kroenke has contended otherwise, and the technical language of the indemnity provision arguably supports his position.
Kroenke also has argued that the efforts by the Raiders and Chargers to persuade the owners to choose their proposed joint venture over Kroenke’s stadium in Inglewood provided the blueprint for the St. Louis litigation.
Already, the league has withheld roughly $250 million in distributions that would have otherwise gone to the 31 other teams. If the settlement of $790 million is split 32 ways, each team would eventually be responsible for $24.68 million.
The league declined comment on the matter.