NFL owners will keep instant replay

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- NFL owners are ready to give commissioner Paul Tagliabue a new contract and keep instant replay.

The questions are how long Tagliabue's term will last and if replay will be made permanent.

Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney, who heads the committee that oversees league operations, said Monday the 32 owners agreed unanimously to extend Tagliabue's contract, which expires in May 2005. Rooney said the extension could be as long as three years, depending on the wishes of the 63-year-old commissioner.

The extension of replay, meanwhile, was presented to the owners in three possible forms:

A renewal of the current coaches' challenge rule for five years.

Permanent renewal with the current system.

Permanent renewal with an additional challenge given to a team that makes two successful challenges.

Owners also discussed a widening gap between haves and have-nots that could hurt the on-field parity that has characterized the past decade.

Owners such as the IndianapolisColts' Jimmy Irsa, Rooney and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson, among others, are concerned about the disparity in cash flow between their teams and teams such as Washington.

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder paid out nearly $50 million in signing bonuses in the first two days of free agency this year. Even with a salary cap, some owners believe it's difficult for teams with less cash to match that.