NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has no plans to scrap Rooney Rule, despite Florida AG pressure

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PHOENIX (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no plans to end the league's Rooney Rule despite recent objections from Florida's attorney general, who wrote that the league's minority hiring guidelines violate Florida state law.

Goodell — speaking on Tuesday at the end of the NFL league meetings — acknowledged the changing political landscape for diversity initiatives in the U.S., but added that he didn't believe there should be any legal issues with the league's policy.

“The Rooney Rule has been around a long time,” Goodell said. “We've evolved it, changed it. We'll continue to do that.”

Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to Goodell last week saying the league’s 23-year-old Rooney Rule amounts to “blatant race and sex discrimination.”

The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager and coordinator positions. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed for the quarterbacks coach position.

Goodell noted that similar diversity guidelines were used in other industries.

“One thing that doesn't change is our values and we believe in diversity and its benefit to the National Football League,” Goodell said. “We are well aware of the laws and where the laws are changing and evolving. We think the Rooney Rule is consistent with those and we certainly will engage with the Florida AG or anybody else as we have in the past to talk about our policies."

Goodell also expressed support for the NFL Accelerator Program, which is returning in May after a hiatus in 2025. The program is used to promote diversity in leadership roles, and was expanded to include candidates of all backgrounds this year.

First-year Atlanta Falcons GM Ian Cunningham said Monday that diversity should still be a priority for the league.

“Just from my position, especially being a Black man, there’s still work to be done,” Cunningham told The Associated Press. “Now that I’m in this position and have this platform, I’m going to be intentional about what we do from a grassroots effort to a director level.

“I do think it’s important to give people of all races and sexes a chance to be in a position to further their career.”

The NFL's competition committee approved a one-year rule for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct “clear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game" in case of a work stoppage involving the NFL Referees Association.

It was one of multiple rules changes announced Tuesday at the league's annual meetings.

The league is moving forward with plans to begin hiring and training replacement officials in the next several weeks because negotiations with the referees’ union have been unsuccessful, two people with knowledge of the discussions have told The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.

The league and the NFL Referees Association have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The current CBA expires May 31.

“The negotiations haven’t progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint,” Goodell said Tuesday. “We obviously have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We’ll be prepared to play. We’re taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keenly focused on negotiations.”

The NFL’s last foray into replacement officials ended in embarrassment for the league when a botched call and confusion in a prime-time game led to the end of a lockout that marred the first three weeks of the 2012 season.

Another rule change approved by owners allows the replay center in New York to consult with on-field officials when considering ejections for both flagrant football acts and non-football acts that weren't called on the field.

The change comes after Pittsburgh receiver DK Metcalf wasn’t ejected from a game at Detroit last season when he got into an altercation with a heckling fan. Because the on-field officials didn’t see when Metcalf swiped at the fan and so didn't throw a flag, the replay center was unable to eject Metcalf.

The league did suspend him for two games, but he was able to remain in the game at the time.

There were also three rules that affect kickoffs, including one that permits the kicking team to declare an onside kick at any time during the game, regardless of the score. Previously, only teams that were trailing or tied could attempt an onside kick.

Goodell said he has no plans to punish New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch under the league's personal conduct policy after Tisch's name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January.

The NFL said in February that it would look into ties between Tisch and Epstein.

“As we've said, we're going to follow facts," Goodell said. “We have been doing that and we're very focused on making sure we understand everything that's out there. We've engaged with others to make sure we have that information.”

The team's co-owners Steve, Laurie and Jonathan Tisch recently signaled their desire to transfer their shares of the NFL club to their children’s trusts.

According to a memo, the Tisch siblings would move the remaining 23.1% of the Giants that they still own to the trusts after completing previous transfers in 2023 and ’24. The memo states, “Following the transactions, the sellers will no longer own any interest in the club.”

Steve Tisch’s name came up more than 400 times in the files. Tisch at the time said he knew Epstein but denied going to his island.

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AP Pro Football Writers Rob Maaddi and Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story.

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