Florida Attorney James Uthmeier has called on the NFL to immediately scrap the Rooney Rule, which was named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney in 2003. He believes the rule “violates Florida law” and made a direct appeal to Roger Goodell ahead of the league’s annual meeting, insisting “it must stop.” However, a former Rams standout feels the discussion is unwarranted and not worth the focus it’s getting.

“OF ALL THE THINGS GOING ON IN AMERICA… all the shit going on in Florida, in the Senate, in the House, in the White House… You WASTE YOUR TIME, my time, and OUR TIME with an NFL RULE that doesn’t affect any US CITIZEN in any way! “@JamesUthmeierFL,” Stanley Daniels II noted on X.

With much bigger issues in the U.S. right now, Uthmeier is focusing on an NFL hiring rule, which Daniels feels doesn’t affect everyday citizens directly and isn’t worth this level of attention.

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Before Sunday’s annual meeting, Uthmeier announced that his office would be sending an official letter to the NFL, raising concerns about the misuse of the rule in the hiring practices of coaches and higher officials.

“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,” he said. “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, and the Rooney Rule mandates race-based interviews and incentivizes race-based decisions. That’s discrimination.”

Uthmeier didn’t stop there; he sort of warned the league to face legal actions if they do not suspend the rule.

“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,” he said.

The Rooney Rule began as a way to ensure Black coaches were interviewed for top NFL jobs. Over time, it grew to include all ethnic minorities and women. It now covers almost every senior leadership position within a team. Recently, the rule expanded again. Every NFL team must now have at least one minority coach on its offensive staff. This helps more diverse candidates reach the head coach level.

However, during this offseason’s 10 head coach openings, no Black candidates were hired. Today, only three Black head coaches remain in the entire league. But then the main point is, if the rule gets suspended, will the minorities even get proper representation?

What the Rooney Rule means for Black coaches

Florida’s attorney general told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that the league must stop using the Rooney Rule in Florida by May 1. Florida officials argue that the rule violates state civil rights laws. They believe that requiring teams to consider race or gender during the hiring process is a form of illegal discrimination.

The NFL created this rule in 2003 because Black coaches were rarely getting top jobs, even when they were highly qualified. The rule does not force a team to hire a specific person. It simply requires them to interview diverse candidates before they make a final decision. It now covers coaches, general managers, and high-level executives.

Even though the rule has existed for over 22 years, progress has been slow. As the league heads into the 2026 season, there are only three Black head coaches in the entire NFL. 

Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted recently that the league still has more work to do. These numbers suggest that the rule isn’t giving anyone special treatment. Instead, it shows that the door is still mostly closed for minority leaders. 

On the other hand, Florida argues that any policy focusing on race crosses a legal line. They believe the hiring process should be colorblind and that the Rooney Rule gives an unfair advantage based on identity.

However, people in favor of the rule see things differently. They believe that without this rule, the qualified Black coaches will go back to being ignored simply because they aren’t part of the inner circle.

This fight is bigger than just one state. For now, the NFL has not made any formal statement on the suspension of the rule. But if Florida succeeds, it could force the NFL to dissolve its efforts to inculcate diversity efforts nationwide.