The Chiefs break their silence with a heartfelt tribute that captures the true legacy of Paul Tagliabue.QQ

Clark Hunt and the Chiefs issued a statement on the passing of the former NFL commissioner.

The National Football League lost one of its most influential architects this weekend. Paul Tagliabue, who served as the league’s commissioner from 1989 to 2006, passed away on Sunday at the age of 84.

For over 17 years, Tagliabue guided the NFL through tremendous change—often exciting, like the digital age and NFL expansion; sometimes tough, like painful relocations and labor tension—as the league reached new heights under his leadership.

While Tagliabue was commissioner, the league added four new franchises, secured record-setting television deals, and tilted the sport toward global expansion by establishing the World League of American Football (WLAF, which later became NFL Europe).

Clark Hunt and the Chiefs issued a statement on the passing of the former NFL commissioner.

Every arm of the sport of football expressed some sort of tribute for Tagliabue in the wake of his passing, and the Kansas City Chiefs followed suit. Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt released this statement honoring Tagliabue’s life and legacy:

“Paul Tagliabue’s leadership was instrumental in building the modern NFL, and the entire football community will remember him as one of the great leaders in the history of our game.

“For decades, Paul served as an advisor, counselor, and eventually commissioner of the National Football League, and his work helped to grow the game across the country and around the world. With his characteristic humility and integrity, Paul ushered the League into the 21st century while maintaining the principles of its founding families. Amid a changing sports landscape and the dawn of a new century, Paul’s steady hand guided the NFL to become the league it is today.

“My family and I are deeply saddened by Paul’s passing. On behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs organization, we send our prayers to his wife Chan, his children Drew and Emily, and the entire Tagliabue family.”

For the Chiefs, Tagliabue’s era spanned some of the most memorable seasons in franchise history, including Marty Schottenheimer’s turnaround in the early ’90s to Dick Vermeil’s division wins a decade later. Tagliabue’s legacy will continue to echo across the league he helped shape and define for two decades.