Former Seahawks executive Tod Leiweke has been hired by the NFL to be their new Chief Operating Officer. Leiweke resigned as CEO of Paul Allen's Vulcan Sports and Entertainment back in 2010 to become CEO of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, leaving a post with Vulcan that oversaw ownership of the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Sounders FC. Lieweke was instrumental in the hiring of Pete Carroll and John Schneider, and both have spoken glowingly of Leiweke for the work he did at the beginning of the Carroll era to put everything together.
In Leiweke, the NFL gets a highly respected executive that has earned praise in every role he's undertaken over the last decade.