"Florida law is clear. Hiring decisions cannot be based on race," the state's attorney general said
Credit: James Uthmeier/x
NEED TO KNOW
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is asking the NFL to suspend its Rooney Rule
- The practice was first implemented in 2003 to combat “historically low numbers of minorities in head coaching positions”
- “NFL teams and their fans don’t care about the race of the coaching staff,” Uthmeier said
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is speaking out against the NFL’s Rooney Rule, asking that the hiring practice be suspended.
In a post to X on Wednesday, March 25, Uthmeier, 38, shared a video in which he referred to “race-based hiring practices” as "discrimination."
“Ahead of the annual meeting, my office is sending a letter to the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell regarding the league’s hiring practices,” Uthmeier said, referring to the league's upcoming annual meeting in Phoenix. “Specifically, the use of the so-called Rooney Rule, which requires NFL teams to interview candidates based on race.”
Professional sports are a visible example of a merit-based system, but through the Rooney Rule, the NFL requires its teams to use race-based hiring practices.
We are putting Commissioner Roger Goodell on notice: the Rooney Rule violates Florida law, and it must stop. pic.twitter.com/g8La6TzUZw
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) March 25, 2026
“The NFL’s use of the Rooney Rule violates Florida law by requiring race-based considerations in hiring. 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,” he continued.
Uthmeier demanded that the NFL suspend the Rooney Rule, adding that failure to comply could “result in enforcement actions against the league.”
“NFL teams and their fans don’t care about the race of the coaching staff. They want a merit-based system that gives their team the best chance to win,” he concluded.
In his letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier writes that the Rooney Rule violates Florida law, according to the Florida Phoenix. Uthmeier gave Goodell a May 1 deadline to confirm that the NFL would "no longer enforce the Rooney Rule or any variation or extension thereof—which requires consideration of race, sex, or any other prohibited classification—on teams in Florida," he wrote.
Florida is home to three NFL teams: the Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
PEOPLE reached out to the NFL for comment.
The Rooney Rule, which was named after late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, was first implemented by the NFL in 2003 upon the recommendation of the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee, now known as the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
The practice was established to combat “historically low numbers of minorities in head coaching positions” by granting qualified candidates the opportunity to be considered for positions within the organization.
The rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager and coordinator positions. Teams are also required to interview one minority candidate for the quarterback coach position. In recent years, the rule has been expanded to include more positions within team organizations. In 2022, the Rooney Rule was later expanded to include women as part of the minority candidates following that year’s Spring League Meeting.
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Other practices implemented throughout the years include the Coach Accelerator program that was created “as a platform for clubs and owners to engage with qualified coaching candidates from diverse backgrounds.”
The accelerator program was paused in 2025, but was reportedly reinstated for 2026, ESPN reported on March 11, citing a memo sent to teams. The program will be held during the May league meetings, will include nonminority participants, and is set to shift focus to more senior-level candidates, according to ESPN.
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