Florida prosecutor subpoenas NFL on Rooney Rule

NFL representatives have been subpoenaed to Florida on June 12 to answer questions on the Rooney Rule, a hiring protocol state Attorney General James Uthmeier says should be suspended.Florida is home to the NFL’s Jaguars in Jacksonville, Buccaneers in Tampa and Dolphins in Miami. Originally implemented in 2003, the rule is named for former Steelers owner Dan Rooney and was created in response to a report from Cyrus Mehri and Johnnie Cochran pointing out racial disparities and only two Black head coaches in the league.
Today, it requires two external minority candidates for vacancies of head coach, general manager or coordinator positions. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed for the quarterbacks coach position.
It does not have a hiring quota or mandate.
The NFL, in a May 1 response to Uthmeier, wrote in part, “Importantly, the Rooney Rule does not impose any hiring quotas or mandates, and it does not license clubs to consider race or sex in making hiring decisions. Hiring decisions for NFL teams are made by the individual clubs – not the League – and those decisions are based on merit.”
The NFL adjusted language on its website after Uthmeier’s initial letter, and the attorney general said he was grateful. His first letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell in March said the rule was “blatant race and sex discrimination.”
He said he still had more questions.
“All in all, the Rooney Rule and the NFL’s related ‘inclusive hiring’ policies – and the NFL’s representations about these policies – continue to raise significant concerns under Florida law,” the prosecutor wrote.
Today, the 32 teams have five minorities as head coaches – Todd Bowles of the Buccaneers, Aaron Glenn of the Jets, DeMeco Ryans of the Texans, Robert Saleh of the Titans and Dave Canales of the Panthers.
Entering the 2025 season, six Black or biracial head coaches led NFL teams – Bowles, Glenn, Ryans, Mike McDaniel of the Dolphins, Mike Tomlin of the Steelers, and Raheem Morris of the Falcons. The seventh minority head coach was Canales, a Mexican American.

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