NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no plans to end the league's "Rooney Rule" despite recent objections from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who wrote that the league's minority hiring guidelines violate state law.
Goodell — speaking on Tuesday at the end of the NFL league meetings in Phoenix — acknowledged the changing political landscape for diversity initiatives in the U.S., but added that he didn't believe there should be any legal issues with the league's policy.
“The Rooney Rule has been around a long time,” Goodell said. “We've evolved it, changed it. We'll continue to do that.”
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Uthmeier sent a letter to Goodell last week saying the league’s 23-year-old Rooney Rule amounts to “blatant race and sex discrimination.”
“Under NFL policy, therefore, a franchise may wish to hire an experienced, highly qualified candidate, but it can’t do so for certain positions if the candidate happens to belong to a particular race. At least not immediately,” Uthmeier wrote. “These methods of directing the selection and training of certain executives, coaches, and other employees based on skin color and sex is discriminatory and violates Florida law."
As attorney general, Uthmeier is the chief legal officer in a state with three NFL teams: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager and coordinator positions. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed for the quarterbacks coach position.
Goodell noted that similar diversity guidelines were used in other industries.
“One thing that doesn't change is our values, and we believe in diversity and its benefit to the National Football League,” Goodell said. “We are well aware of the laws and where the laws are changing and evolving. We think the Rooney Rule is consistent with those, and we certainly will engage with the Florida AG or anybody else as we have in the past to talk about our policies."
Goodell also expressed support for the NFL Accelerator Program, which is returning in May after a hiatus in 2025. The program is used to promote diversity in leadership roles, and was expanded to include candidates of all backgrounds this year.
First-year Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Monday that diversity should still be a priority for the league.
“Just from my position, especially being a Black man, there’s still work to be done,” Cunningham told The Associated Press. “Now that I’m in this position and have this platform, I’m going to be intentional about what we do from a grassroots effort to a director level.
“I do think it’s important to give people of all races and sexes a chance to be in a position to further their career.”
