Florida Attorney General Demands NFL Suspend Rooney Rule, Citing Discrimination Concerns

James Uthmeier, the Florida Attorney General, has expressed his intention to request the NFL to suspend the Rooney Rule. Uthmeier, via a video posted on X, announced that his office will send a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the league's annual meeting. The Rooney Rule, instituted in 2003, requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching, general manager, and executive positions. The league has three teams in Florida, and Uthmeier argues that the rule should not apply to these teams because it violates state law.

Uthmeier cited Florida law, which prohibits hiring decisions based on race. The Rooney Rule, as he interprets it, mandates race-based interviews and incentivizes race-based decisions, which he considers discrimination. The attorney general is demanding the NFL suspend the rule and warns that failure to do so may result in legal action for racial discrimination. He argues that NFL teams and their fans do not care about the race of the coaching staff, but rather a merit-based system that gives their team the best chance to win.

The Rooney Rule, named after former Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who once chaired the league’s diversity committee, aims to promote diversity in the NFL. In its current iteration, the rule rewards teams with draft compensation for developing minority coaches and executives who are then hired by other teams. Following the departure of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin at the end of last season, the NFL has only three Black head coaches.

Uthmeier would consider “a civil rights enforcement action” against the NFL if it does not suspend the rule, though he did not specify what that action would entail. The attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a nonprofit that works with the NFL to ensure fair and diverse hiring practices, responded to Uthmeier’s comments by stating, “The Rooney Rule doesn’t limit opportunity; it expands it.”

Michele C. Meyer-Shipp, interim executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, defended the rule, noting that “it doesn’t cap who a club can consider or dictate who gets hired, and it’s not a hiring rule.” What it does is increase fair competition and ensure a true merit-based process by opening the door beyond the traditional “tap on the shoulder” system, so the best candidates from all backgrounds are actually seen, evaluated, and can compete.

The NFL’s annual meetings, which will run through next Wednesday, are when team owners discuss league business, including possible rule changes. The Rooney Rule was not reported to be on the agenda for this year’s meeting. An NFL spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.