Florida attorney general James Uthmeier has taken a stance against the NFL's Rooney Rule. Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II, the son of the regulation's namesake, Dan Rooney, acknowledged the opposition on Friday.
"There's no question the environment has changed in recent years," Art Rooney II told ESPN . "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. We've got to look at that and make sure we're in compliance. … That's just the environment we're existing in today."
Uthmeier posted a video on X on Wednesday denouncing the Rooney Rule.
"Next week, the NFL's annual league meeting begins in Phoenix, Ariz., and the NFL Draft is only a month away," Uthmeier said . "Ahead of the annual meeting, my office is sending a letter to the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, regarding the league's hiring practices, specifically the use of the so-called 'Rooney Rule,' which requires NFL teams to interview candidates based on race.
"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. … That's discrimination. We're demanding the NFL suspend the Rooney Rule, and failure to do so may result in enforcement actions against the league for race-based discrimination."
The NFL's football operations website says the Rooney Rule "encourages hiring best practices to foster and provide opportunity to diverse leadership throughout the NFL. … The Rooney Rule aims to increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager, and executive positions."
The league adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003. It originally required every team with a head coaching opening to interview at least one diverse candidate before making a new hire. Teams are now required to interview at least two minority candidates for vacant head coach, GM and coordinator positions. One minority candidate is required for the quarterback coach position.
"NFL teams and their fans don't care about the race of the coaching staff," Uthmeier said. "They want a merit-based system that gives their team the best chance to win."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers President Art Rooney II Responds to Florida's Rooney Rule Opposition
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