REVEALED: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell discussed Jaguars’ $2BILLION stadium proposal with Jacksonville city officials ahead of MNF game

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was reportedly in Jacksonville ahead of Monday night's game between the Jaguars and Bengals to push city officials on the city's proposed $2 billion stadium.

According to the Florida Times-UnionJacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and City Council President Ron Salem met with Goodell before kickoff to discuss a possible partnership for the stadium.

In June, the Jaguars unveiled renderings of the proposed TIAA Bank Field, with a futuristic look in the heart of downtown Jacksonville.

The stadium will have a concourse four times larger than the current EverBank Stadium, and a seating capacity of 62,000 (expandable to 71,500), per Front office sports.

Under one proposal, the Jaguars and the city would each split the cost at $1 billion. However, closing a deal has proven more difficult.

Jaguars president Mark Lamping previously had to retract comments that were characterized as threats to move the franchise if the stadium deal is not completed.

“If Jacksonville loses an NFL team, they will never get another team.” said Lamping in September. “Do you want to keep the NFL in Jacksonville?”

Having Goodell speak to officials could be a strategic move by the Jaguars to speed up negotiations. A spokesperson for the mayor told the Times-Union that the city is still months away from closing a deal.

The Jaguars joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995 and have since been based at the 67,814-capacity EverBank Stadium.

As a franchise, the Jaguars have won four division championships after eight playoff appearances.

With an 8-4 record, the Jaguars currently sit atop the AFC South. However, their season may have taken a turn for the worse after franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence sprained his ankle in the loss to Cincinnati.

The Jaguars have five games left this season, starting with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.