Since NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jay-Z (founder of Roc Nation) announced their partnership last week, the rumor mill has been working overtime. 

TMZ reported part of this deal had an ownership component for Jay-Z. According to league sources, first reported by CBS Sports, that’s simply not the case. 

The partnership announcement has led to sharp criticism aimed at the hip-hop billionaire, particularly in light of his support for Colin Kaepernick, who many believe is being blackballed by the NFL. 

If Hov became part owner of an NFL franchise, this would be proof he was in fact playing a strategic game and working to create change in the league from within. 

But it doesn’t appear as though Hov will become an NFL owner, at least not under the parameters of this specific deal. 

This would not have been Hov’s first foray into ownership of a major sports franchise. He was once the minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets and instrumental in the franchise coming to Brooklyn from New Jersey. It was this fact that likely gave credence to the initial report. 

The league source told CBS Sports, "Those kinds of deals don't exist in the NFL. There is no ownership component to this arrangement."

As it stands now, any idea of Jay-Z owning an NFL franchise is on the back burner.

If owning an NFL team is indeed what he is planning, he has a ways to go. 

Not only would he need to be vetted and approved by the owners and their group, he would also have to sever ties and fully divest from Roc Nation Sports and athlete representation.