The NFL is under pressure to abolish its Rooney Rule following a mandate from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who claims it violates his state’s law.
Uthmeier has sent a letter to commissioner Roger Goodell in which he has threatened legal action.
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The Rooney Rule has been in place since 2003 and requires all NFL teams to conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority and/or female candidates from outside the organization for any general manager or head coach vacancy.
The league says the rule promotes “diverse leadership among NFL clubs to ensure that promising candidates have the opportunity to prove they have the necessary skills and qualifications to excel.”
Uthmeier doesn’t see it that way.
“The NFL’s use of the Rooney Rule violates Florida law by requiring race-based considerations in hiring,” the AG said in a video posted to social media. “Florida law is clear: Hiring decisions cannot be based on race. And the Rooney Rule mandates race-based interviews and incentivizes race-based decisions. That’s discrimination.”
According to ESPN, he said the following in the letter:
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“NFL fans in Florida don’t care what color their coach’s skin is,” Uthmeier wrote. “They care what colors their coach is wearing — and that those colors are winning on the football field.
“The Rooney Rule and its offshoots are illegal in Florida.”
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller responded to Uthmeier on Friday.
“We are reviewing the letter. We believe our policies are consistent with the law and reflect our commitment to fairness, opportunity, and building the strongest possible teams.”
Art Rooney II Suggests NFL Has no Choice
Uthmeier told the NFL it has until May 1 to confirm that it will abolish the rule as it pertains to Floridian franchises, the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
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“We’re demanding the NFL suspend the Rooney Rule, and failure to do so may result in enforcement actions against the league for race-based discrimination,” he said.
Of note, no NFL team appointed a Black head coach in this year’s hiring cycle. Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, counted as the only minority hire. Saleh was named head coach of the Tennessee Titans following an excellent stint as defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers.
Former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert SalehMatt Kartozian-Imagn Images
(Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, for whose father, Dan Rooney, the rule was named, told ESPN he hadn’t seen the letter as of Friday but that the league would be obligated to consider the Florida AG’s demands.
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“There’s no question that the environment has changed in recent years,” he explained. “We do have an obligation to make sure that our policies comply with the laws, whatever the law is, and whatever the changes in law might be. We’ve got to look at that and make sure we’re in compliance. … When the league’s lawyers have a chance to analyze it to determine what is it about Florida law that the attorney general is questioning, we’ll have to review that. That’s just the environment we’re existing in today.”
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This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.