April 2, 2026
‘”We’ve evolved it, changed it. We’ll continue to do that’
Last week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, to alert him that the league’s Rooney Rule (implemented to give Black coaches and executives in the league a better chance of being interviewed for open positions in the NFL) amounts to “blatant race and sex discrimination.” In response to the Florida AG, the commissioner has stated, “We’ll continue to do that.”
According to NFL.com, Goodell responded to the attorney general at the end of the NFL league meetings on April 1. While Uthmeier raises an issue regarding the DEI practices opposed by the current administration and the state of Florida, Goodell disagrees that there are any legal issues with the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head-coach, general-manager, and coordinator positions. Teams must interview at least one minority candidate for the quarterbacks coach position, per the guidelines.
Goodell understands the changes in the political landscape since President Trump returned to office, but doesn’t seem concerned about how the Rooney Rule has been used over the years, citing that there have been changes there as well. He notes that since the rule was created, it has also evolved with the times to remain effective for the NFL.
“The Rooney Rule has been around a long time,” Goodell said. “We’ve evolved it, changed it. We’ll continue to do that.”
The league has been a strong proponent of diversity on and off the field, in a sport where Black athletes dominate, and the commissioner wants to bring more diversity to the managerial and executive ranks. He is willing to speak to the Florida attorney general about the rule.
“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.”
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