The NFL is open to scrapping the often-revised Rooney Rule and starting over with new incentives for teams to hire minority head coaches.
Former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit alleging racism in the hiring practices for coaches, as well as “sham” interviews held by the Giants and Broncos to comply with Rooney Rule standards, was the main topic Wednesday during commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual Super Bowl news conference. Other minority coaches have since said they also went on “sham” interviews.
“You don’t take anything off the table,” Goodell said. “If it requires an overhaul, you do it. If it requires changes in other areas, you do it. Obviously, we haven’t been successful to date, so we’ve got to look at every one of those alternatives.”
Goodell said the NFL will bring in unspecified outside experts to help “re-evaluate” the hiring process and the Rooney Rule which, in its latest incarnation, requires teams to interview at least two external minorities before filling vacancies at general manager and head coach and at least one external minority for each coordinator position. Teams that develop minorities hired as head coaches by other teams receive draft-pick compensation.
“Something that maybe we thought we were doing well, maybe we’re not doing so well,” Goodell said. “Maybe that will help us get to a better solution.”
Five of the 32 head coaches are minorities, including three who are black. Two of those three (the Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel and Texans’ Lovie Smith) were hired this week, after Flores’ lawsuit. Thirteen teams h ave never had a black non-interim head coach (including the Giants) and six (excluding the Giants) have never had a black head coach or GM. About 70 percent of players are black.
“Racism or any form of discrimination is against our values and really something that we will not tolerate,” Goodell said. “We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress in a lot of [diversity] areas, but not at the head coach. We fell short of that by a long shot.”
In its initial written response to Flores’ lawsuit, the NFL declared Flores’ claims are “without merit.” A few days later, in a follow-up memo to teams, Goodell wrote that “we understand the concerns expressed by Coach Flores.” He explained Wednesday that he is separating discounting the lawsuit’s claims from reviewing what is happening during the interview process.
“Are we making mistakes that we subconsciously are doing, or didn’t think was a mistake?” Goodell asked rhetorically. “We have to be open to every one of those [questions]. I admire and respect [Flores] a lot. I hope we’ll get a lot of feedback not just from Coach Flores, but everybody in this league.”
Goodell said diversity is the leading topic of discussion at the quarterly NFL owners’ meetings, covering all but two over the last four to five years.
“I do bear that responsibility,” Goodell said, “as well as all our clubs.”
Other notable issues discussed included:
Goodell is “encouraged” by the progress between the Bills, New York and Erie County on a new stadium. The Bills’ lease ends in July 2023 and New Era Field (opened in 1973) will be rendered past its usefulness within five years based on studies.
Gov. Kathy Hochul “stepped into a very difficult challenge,” Goodell said, but he credited her leadership for bringing parties together and recognizing “we have to get a new stadium in Buffalo … and it has to be a public-private partnership.”
The latest investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct within the Washington Commanders — this claim directed at owner Daniel Snyder during a congressional roundtable — will be independently reviewed at the direction of the league, not by the team as originally announced.
“I do not see any way a team can do its own investigation of itself,” Goodell said.
Findings of the last investigation into Washington, resulting in a $10 million fine levied against Snyder, remain private despite calls from former female employees to publicize. Snyder “did not interfere” with the investigation, Goodell said.
Flores’ lawsuit also alleged Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered incentives for tanking games for a better draft position — another point of investigation.
“If there were violations, they won’t be tolerated,” Goodell said. “I can’t speculate on what [punishments] will be because we have to find out what the facts are. We’ll deal with it very seriously, just as we will if there is any discrimination in the league.”
Goodell confirmed NFL team owners have the ability by vote to force a fellow owner to sell if a violation of bylaws (including competitive integrity) is discovered.
The NFL will play four games in Germany over the next four seasons, beginning with one in Munich in 2022. The plan is to return to Mexico in 2022, after COVID-19 restrictions interrupted that established international series.