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What Is the Rooney Rule That NFL Is Attracting Scrutiny For?

Samnur Reza
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While the NFL has had its share of scrutiny over the years over all sorts of accusations—ranging from officiating blunders to even racism—it’s quite surprising how a rule that the league implemented to fight one of these problems has since backfired on them. We are, of course, talking about the Rooney Rule, which has landed the league itself in hot waters after a conservative legal group filed a federal civil rights complaint against the NFL.

Before delving into the legal dilemma, let’s discuss what the Rooney Rule actually is. Following this season’s Black Monday, you must have noticed how there have been more than a few coaching vacancies around the league. Even before the playoffs had concluded, there were numerous reports of hiring in the league, whether it was for the head coaching position or any other crucial role in the management lounge. But if you didn’t know, a crucial aspect of the process involves the management interviewing minority candidates, at least two, to be exact—before making the final decision.

Moreover, they must interview at least one external minority candidate for a coordinator job or any senior position (team president/senior executive). For the latter, female candidates can be interviewed as well instead of the minority candidate, according to Sports Illustrated.

This rule was introduced back in 2003 and has seen its share of changes over the years. Franchises must consider minority or female candidates for a QB coach in today’s day and age. This also comes with a few benefits: if a franchise manages to develop a minority talent that later secures a head coaching or GM position on another NFL team, the former will be awarded a third-round compensatory pick for two straight years.

As we have cleared out the air, your initial impression of the rule might be fairly positive. So, you must be wondering why it landed the league in a lawsuit.

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America First Legal (AFL) — led by former Donald Trump advisor Stephen Miller — alleges that the league’s interviewing policy is in direct violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. They further claim that this law limits the hiring process and categorizes candidates based on race rather than skills, as per FOX.

The legal group also asserts that in the past two decades, several franchises went on to organize sham interviews for minority candidates just to check the Rooney Rule Box. Moreover, they claim that this hectic process restricts the interviewing of genuinely well-qualified candidates — hindering the selection of a well-suited individual. This puts minorities in a position where they are called upon just to tick a box.

It’s worth bringing up when former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the NFL, alleging the NY Giants only interviewed him to tick the box.

It’s also worth noting that the league is now up 4 minority coaches to a total of 9 after they got hired last month around the league.

So, it can be argued that the changes are there, even if they are slow. It’s also understandable why the legal group is trying to fight against this. How about you? Do you think the Rooney Rule works?

About the author

Samnur Reza

Samnur Reza

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Samnur Reza is an NFL editor for The SportsRush. He holds a degree in English Honors and joined The SportsRush editorial team in 2023. Having previously worked as a freelancer and several media outlets, Samnur has been religiously following the National Football League for the past six and a half years. Samnur first started following football after Tom Brady's cameo in Ted 2. It wasn’t long before he found himself grabbing a bucket of popcorn to enjoy football games. He still vividly remembers his first-ever fixture: a 2011 matchup between the Patriots and Raiders, where Brady led his team to a 31-19 victory. Even so, Samnur believes Brady’s best performance came against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, a game he still revisits from time to time. Samnur diligently follows most NFL athletes, their family members, and even the NCAA. Thus, he considers himself a diverse writer, having covered almost every corner of the football world. He does, however, have a special interest in athlete-centric stories. Whenever they engage in off-field ventures or charitable activities, Samnur enjoys reading and writing about them. Samnur had already authored over 850 NFL-based articles before becoming an editor. His editorial journey began just a little over a year ago. Beyond football, Samnur is a true cinephile with an extensive repertoire of films. He’s also fond of cats and has a furry friend named ‘Eva.’ During his free time, Samnur enjoys playing video games, currently immersed in God of War: Ragnarök. Having recently learned how to ride a bike, he now wishes to travel almost everywhere on it.

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