The NFL’s Rooney Rule has long been a topic of conversation, even debate. What does it do?

Are women included in the Rooney Rule?

Yes. In 2022, the league expanded the Rooney Rule to include women as a part of the minority candidate definition. NFL teams can include women as minority candidates for vacancies involving head coach, general manager, coordinators, QBs coach and senior personnel.

Does the NFL reward teams for developing minorities?

Yes. In November 2020, owners approved a proposal rewarding teams who developed minority talent who went on to become general managers or head coaches across the league. If a team loses a minority executive or coach who has been with the franchise for at least two years to another team, that team receives a third-round compensatory pick for two years. If a team loses both a coach and a personnel member, it receives a third-round compensatory pick for three years.

What are the penalties for violating the Rooney Rule?

The NFL can fine teams in excess of $500,000 for violating the rule. It also can take away draft picks or invalidate a hire. However, the only punishment on record came in 2003 when Detroit was fined $200,000 for hiring Steve Mariucci before interviewing a minority candidate.

Has the Rooney Rule worked?

The 2006 season was considered a huge breakthrough. There were seven Black head coaches that year, and two of them met in the Super Bowl for the first time ever. When Tony Dungy’s Indianapolis Colts defeated Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bears in the title game, minority coaches appeared to be the biggest winners. No one could deny Black coaches could do the job as well as their white counterparts. The number of minority head coaches reached an all-time high in 2024 with nine, a list that included six Black head coaches. But that number dwindled to five ahead of the 2026 season. Of the record-tying 10 new head coaches hired this offseason, there was only one minority with Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, getting the job in Tennessee. Eleven teams, roughly a third of the league, have never had a Black non-interim coach. The list includes Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Dallas, Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans, the New York Giants, Seattle, Tennessee and Washington. Three of those teams have had minority coaches: the Panthers (Dave Canales), the Titans (Saleh) and the Commanders (Ron Rivera). \\\_ AP NFL: