Cote: NFL Rooney Rule needs protecting in face of Florida’s dumb attack | Opinion
One imagines Florida’s state attorney general, James Uthmeier, sitting around his office with apparent free time and looking for something to do. Lord knows there is absolutely no fraud or corruption in his state to ferret out (!), so there will be ample time for a headline-grabbing legal pursuit that — far worse than merely unnecessary — is a fountain of hurtful, backward thinking.
So Uthmeier, champion of the people (or at least the people named DeSantis and Trump), is going after the NFL and its Rooney Rule intended to encourage diversity in head coach and front-office hirings.
In a letter last week to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier called the Rooney Rule “blatant race and sex discrimination” and said that hiring decisions should be entirely merit-based. “The Rooney Rule and its offshoots are illegal in Florida,” said the state AG. Florida is demanding that, by May 1, the NFL agrees it will no longer enforce the Rooney Rule on Florida-based teams — or face “civil rights enforcement action.”
The NFL’s response: “We believe our policies are consistent with the law and reflect our commitment to fairness, opportunity, and building the strongest possible teams.”
Ah, the belief in fairness and opportunity! Once the norm. Not controversial in the least. (Who wouldn’t believe in fairness and opportunity!?)
That was before the present U.S. government began the systematic dismantling of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the framework that promotes fair treatment and full participation by all, particularly groups historically underrepresented or victims of discrimination.
From government to education to the workplace, DEI is crumbling. And Uthemeier is now doing his part now to erase it from the NFL, too, and by extension perhaps from sports in general.
The latest threat affects only the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Only California has as many NFL franchises in the 32-team league. Tampa Bay happens to have one of only five minority head coaches in Todd Bowles. (Aaron Glenn of the Jets and DeMeco Ryans of the Texans also are African-American. Dave Canales of the Panthers is Hispanic and Robert Saleh of the Titans is Muslim of Lebanese origin.)
I reached out to the Dolphins to see what owner Stephen Ross has to say about the state’s attack on the Rooney Rule. Via the club, Ross declined to offer a comment because the state’s letter was sent to the league, not to the state’s teams.
The Rooney Rule is simply there to make sure the door is cracked ajar if not flung open wide for minority candidates who might otherwise not be given a fair shake. The rule does not force any team to hire anybody, just that the team’s pool of candidates not be like the WHITES ONLY sign on water coolers in the 1950s.
The rule is named for Dan Rooney, former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and chairman of the league’s diversity committee. The rule is not perfect, Goodell forever admitting it needs improvement. The ineffectiveness of the rule is a fair criticism. Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who is Black, called the rule a “sham” in a lawsuit against the NFL. True, it does not prevent token minority interviews disguised as well-meaning and legit.
But the continuing need for the rule was evident just in the past hiring cycle when there were 10 head coach openings, most ever, and zero of the hirings was Black.
The rule is needed, worth protecting, worth improving, if only because it keeps lit the idea of fairness, the promotion of it as a noble beacon — ideals lost with Uthmeier and other who would turn back time.
He has had a busy first year in office, the 38-year-old Uthmeier has, since being sworn in February of ‘25. He had been Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff prior. Before that he had been campaign manager for DeSantis’ failed presidential run in 2023-24.
Last June Uthmeier was held in contempt of court by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams for continuing to enforce a Florida immigration law the judge had blocked in a previous ruling, after which Uthmeier directed state law enforcement to ignore the order, saying, “If being held in contempt is what it costs to stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, so be it.”
Around that time Uthmeier was one of the forces behind the construction of notorious Alligator Alcatraz, the immigration detention facility located in the Everglades inside the Big Cypress National Preserve. It opened last July 1. (Surprised they didn’t cut the ribbon on July 4, for gruesome effect.)
This past December Uthmeier praised President Trump for vetoing bipartisan legislation to provide flood protection in areas near the Miccosukee Tribe ... because the tribe had filed a lawsuit against Alligator Alcatraz.
During the 2025 sate legislative session Uthmeier was embroiled in a controversy involving the transfer of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement to a political committee he controlled. In September ‘24 Florida had reached a $67 million settlement with Centene Corporation for Medicaid overbilling. Under the agreement, $10 million was funneled to the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with First Lady Casey DeSantis.
Now the NFL is in the state’s sights, for no good reason — and good for America’s most popular sport for fighting back.
The Rooney Rule reflects “our commitment to fairness [and] opportunity,” said the NFL.
Maybe someday society won’t require rules to encourage that, but, with James Uthmeier the latest proof, we’re still not there.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 11:45 AM.
