NFL DEI Initiatives Such As Rooney Rule And Accelerator Program Under Legal Pressure And Even In Retreat

PHOENIX — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has repeatedly shared his opinion that diversity makes the NFL stronger and that has been enshrined in the engineering of the league's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies for decades. But it's a new day and the NFL's two highest-profile DEI hiring initiatives are being challenged or even significantly changed as part of the new times.

The league has already altered its Accelerator Program, which originally aimed to identify and advance minority coaching and executive talent by placing them in front of league owners.

The program, which started in 2022 until it was paused in 2025, excluded white male potential job candidates from participating.

The new Accelerator Program, which is scheduled for May, will include white male candidates.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Gives White Males A Victory

This is seen by some as a victory for inclusion because it will include everybody. And it's seen as a rollback of minority advancement by others.

"Not everyone likes the change," one NFL executive admitted during the NFL Annual Meeting. "But, frankly, there were dissenting voices about the way the program was previously imagined because there were calls to have a program inclusive of all talent.

"The redesigned program is an evolution for us as a league."  

And while the Accelerator Program is ¨refinining¨ its nomination criteria to include white men, the league confirms it is in receipt of a letter from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier that is challenging the long-established Rooney Rule and the Accelerator Program as to their applications in Florida.

"We are reviewing the letter," NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said. "We believe our policies are consistent with the law and reflect our commitment to fairness, opportunity, and building the strongest possible teams."

Yes, there will be lawyers collecting billable hours soon. 

Florida AG Believes NFL Programs Violate Law

Uthmeier wrote his letter to Goodell last week, claiming both the Rooney Rule and Accelerator programs violate Florida law.

"I write with a word of caution to the NFL on its race-and-sex-based hiring policies," Uthmeier said in his letter. "As applied in Florida, the NFL's "Rooney Rule," which governs the hiring of certain team executives and coaches, brazenly violates Florida law."

The NFL told OutKick on Sunday that ¨The Rooney Rule is one part of a broader set of efforts to expand opportunity and ensure clubs are considering a wide range of qualified candidates. It does not mandate hiring decisions. Those decisions are made by each club.¨

But Uthmeier quoted The Rooney Rule itself as evidence the Rooney Rule violates the Florida Civil Rights Act in that it aims ¨to increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.¨

The NFL also mandates ¨that all teams must employ a female or minority coach as an offensive assistant.¨ 

The Florida Civil Rights Act, in part, prohibits "discriminat[ing] against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges or employment" because of the individual's "race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status."

So, the rule's aim seems to run counter to Florida law.

The Florida Supreme Court Building (Credt: Getty Images)

Rooney Namesake Sees Changing Environment

The Florida law also prohibits employers from discriminating based on those same characteristics "in admission to … any program established to provide apprenticeship or other training."

The "other training" part may be problematic for the NFL because the Rooney Rule is meant, at minimum, to give interview repetitions for minority candidates, which could be considered training.

The NFL had 10 head coach openings during the last hiring cycle. Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, was the only minority candidate hired. No black coaches were hired. 

 "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," Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, the chairman of the league's DEI committee and son of Dan Rooney, for whom the Rooney Rule is named, recently told ESPN.

 "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 it is 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."

It seems the Steelers are comfortable in that environment. When the club lost black head coach Mike Tomlin to apparent retirement after the 2025 season, Rooney hired Mike McCarthy, who is white.