PHOENIX (AP) 鈥� NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no plans to end the league’s Rooney Rule despite recent objections from Florida’s attorney general, who wrote that the league’s violate Florida state law.
Goodell 鈥� speaking on Tuesday at the end of the NFL league meetings 鈥� acknowledged the changing political landscape for diversity initiatives in the U.S., but added that he didn’t believe there should be any legal issues with the league’s policy.
鈥淭he Rooney Rule has been around a long time,鈥� Goodell said. 鈥淲e’ve evolved it, changed it. We’ll continue to do that.鈥�
Florida鈥檚 Attorney General James Uthmeier to Goodell last week saying the league鈥檚 23-year-old Rooney Rule amounts to 鈥渂latant race and sex discrimination.鈥�
The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager and coordinator positions. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed for the quarterbacks coach position.
Goodell noted that similar diversity guidelines were used in other industries.
鈥淥ne thing that doesn’t change is our values and we believe in diversity and its benefit to the National Football League,鈥� Goodell said. 鈥淲e are well aware of the laws and where the laws are changing and evolving. We think the Rooney Rule is consistent with those and we certainly will engage with the Florida AG or anybody else as we have in the past to talk about our policies.”
Goodell also expressed support for the NFL Accelerator Program, which is returning in May after a hiatus in 2025. The program is used to promote diversity in leadership roles, and was expanded to include candidates of all backgrounds this year.
First-year Atlanta Falcons GM Ian Cunningham said Monday that diversity should still be a priority for the league.
鈥淛ust from my position, especially being a Black man, there鈥檚 still work to be done,鈥� Cunningham told The Associated Press. 鈥淣ow that I鈥檓 in this position and have this platform, I鈥檓 going to be intentional about what we do from a grassroots effort to a director level.
鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 important to give people of all races and sexes a chance to be in a position to further their career.鈥�
Preparing for replacement refs
The competition committee approved a one-year rule for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct 鈥渃lear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game” in case of a work stoppage involving the NFL Referees Association.
It was one of multiple rules changes announced Tuesday at the league’s annual meetings.
The league is moving forward with plans to begin in the next several weeks because negotiations with the referees鈥� union have been unsuccessful, two people with knowledge of the discussions have told The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations are private.
The league and the NFL Referees Association have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The current CBA .
鈥淭he negotiations haven鈥檛 progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint,鈥� Goodell said Tuesday. 鈥淲e obviously have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We鈥檒l be prepared to play. We鈥檙e taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we鈥檙e also keenly focused on negotiations.鈥�
The NFL鈥檚 ended in embarrassment for the league when a botched call and confusion in a prime-time game led to the end of a lockout that marred the first three weeks of the 2012 season.
More rules changes
Another rule change approved by owners allows the replay center in New York to consult with on-field officials when considering ejections for both flagrant football acts and non-football acts that weren’t called on the field.
The change comes after Pittsburgh receiver DK Metcalf wasn鈥檛 ejected from a game at Detroit last season when he got into an altercation with a heckling fan. Because the on-field officials didn鈥檛 see when Metcalf swiped at the fan and so didn’t throw a flag, the replay center was unable to eject Metcalf.
The league did but he was able to remain in the game at the time.
There were also three rules that affect kickoffs, including one that permits the kicking team to declare an onside kick at any time during the game, regardless of the score. Previously, only teams that were trailing or tied could attempt an onside kick.
Tisch update
Goodell said he has no plans to punish New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch under the league’s personal conduct policy after Tisch’s name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January.
The NFL said in February that it would look into ties between Tisch and Epstein.
鈥淎s we’ve said, we’re going to follow facts,” Goodell said. 鈥淲e have been doing that and we’re very focused on making sure we understand everything that’s out there. We’ve engaged with others to make sure we have that information.鈥�
The team’s co-owners Steve, Laurie and Jonathan Tisch recently signaled their desire to transfer their shares of the NFL club to their children鈥檚 trusts.
According to a memo, the Tisch siblings would move the remaining 23.1% of the Giants that they still own to the trusts after completing previous transfers in 2023 and 鈥�24. The memo states, 鈥淔ollowing the transactions, the sellers will no longer own any interest in the club.鈥�
more than 400 times in the files. Tisch at the time said he knew Epstein but denied going to his island.
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AP Pro Football Writers Rob Maaddi and Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story.
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