Florida attorney general demands NFL suspend Rooney Rule, citing ‘discrimination’ around coach hiring

The NFL’s annual league meeting will begin Sunday, and Florida attorney general James Uthmeier has one demand for the league: That it suspend the Rooney Rule.

In a video Wednesday, Uthmeier called for the rule to be suspended, saying it violates Florida law by “requiring race-based considerations in hiring.” Uthmeier threatened “enforcement actions against the league for race-based discrimination.”

The Rooney Rule, which was instituted by the league in 2003, requires teams to “interview at least one or more diverse candidates before making a new hire.” The policy initially only applied to head-coaching jobs, though it has expanded to other roles since its introduction. Since 2009, both “general manager and primary football executive jobs” require NFL teams to interview two minority candidates, per the NFL’s website.

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Uthmeier sent a letter to the league urging it to stop applying the Rooney Rule to NFL teams in Florida — which include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the league does not comply, Uthmeier threatened that he would consider “a civil rights enforcement action.” Uthmeier did not specify exactly what that would entail.

The NFL’s annual league meeting will begin Sunday, March 29, and run through Wednesday, April 1. At the meeting, teams and owners typically discuss league business, including possible rule changes for the upcoming season. This year, owners will also vote on the site of Super Bowl LXIII, though it’s expected that will be awarded to Las Vegas.

Prior to Wednesday, the Rooney Rule was not among the items reported to be on the docket during the annual league meeting. It’s unclear whether Uthmeier’s demand or threats will change the NFL’s agenda.

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell typically takes part in a press conference during the annual league meeting. If Goodell doesn’t respond to Uthmeier’s demand before that presser, the commissioner will almost certainly address the issue while speaking with the media.