The NFL’s Rooney Rule stood for decades, but a shocking demand from Florida’s AG surfaced with a brutal threat to change the hiring game forever

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has formally demanded that the NFL suspend its long-standing Rooney Rule, threatening enforcement actions against the league if it fails to comply. This is a pretty bold move that could totally shake up how teams approach hiring if it goes through.

According to People, Uthmeier took to X, sharing a video where he slammed what he called “race-based hiring practices” as “discrimination.” He announced that his office is sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ahead of the league’s annual meeting in Phoenix. The focus of this letter is squarely on the Rooney Rule, which Uthmeier claims requires NFL teams to interview candidates based on race.

He argued that the NFL’s use of the Rooney Rule violates Florida law by mandating race-based considerations in hiring. Uthmeier stated that Florida law is crystal clear: hiring decisions simply cannot be based on race. This merit-based push aligns with Uthmeier’s new workforce plans to focus on “getting people into the workforce even earlier.” He believes the Rooney Rule not only mandates race-based interviews but also incentivizes race-based decisions, which he considers discrimination.

This could change how teams hire overnight if the NFL gives in

In his letter to Goodell, Uthmeier reiterated that the Rooney Rule violates Florida law. He gave Goodell a May 1 deadline to confirm that the NFL would no longer enforce the Rooney Rule, or any variation or extension of it. This includes any policy that requires consideration of race, sex, or any other prohibited classification for teams in Florida. Florida is home to three NFL teams: the Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Uthmeier concluded his statements by saying that NFL teams and their fans aren’t concerned with the race of the coaching staff; they just want a merit-based system that gives their team the best possible chance to win. The Rooney Rule itself is named after the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. The NFL first put it into practice in 2003, following a recommendation from the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee, which we now know as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

The whole idea behind establishing this rule was to tackle the historically low numbers of minorities in head coaching positions. It was designed to give qualified minority candidates a real shot at being considered for leadership roles within organizations. Initially, the rule required teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions.

It also mandated interviewing one minority candidate for the quarterback coach position. Over the years, the rule has actually expanded quite a bit to cover more roles within team organizations. In a significant update, the Rooney Rule was expanded again in 2022 to include women as part of the minority candidates, a change that came after that year’s Spring League Meeting.

Beyond the Rooney Rule, the NFL has also tried other initiatives to boost diversity. One of these is the Coach Accelerator program, which was created to give clubs and owners a platform to engage with qualified coaching candidates from diverse backgrounds. This accelerator program saw a pause in 2025, but it’s reportedly making a comeback for 2026.

A March 11 memo announced the program will move to the May league meetings, expanding to include non-minority and senior-level candidates.