The Rooney Rule is a tool used by the NFL to promote diversity among coaches. However, it is often treated as nothing more than an annoying requirement. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has now announced changes.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has announced that the league will review its approach to diversity policies, including the Rooney Rule.

The reason for this is the current offseason, in which only one of ten vacant head coach positions in the NFL has been filled by a minority candidate.

Rooney Rule: Roger Goodell sees room for improvement

“We have become more diverse across the league, including in coaching, but we still have more work to do,” Goodell said. “There must be further steps. We are reviewing everything we do, including the Accelerator Program and all aspects of our policies, to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, not those of yesterday.”

Ten head coach jobs were filled in the 2026 offseason, including only one by a minority candidate: Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent and now leads the Tennessee Titans.

No Black head coach was hired—for the fifth time since the Rooney Rule was introduced in 2003. All teams complied with the rule requiring them to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, coordinator, or general manager positions, and even went beyond that.

NFL: Only three Black head coaches in 2026

Currently, there are only three Black head coaches in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season: DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans), Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and Aaron Glenn (New York Jets). Goodell emphasized that the Rooney Rule has been positive overall: “It has only benefited the NFL.” Nevertheless, the league plans to evaluate all processes in order to professionalize them. The Accelerator Program, which was paused last year and connects various coaches with owners and executives, is set to return in some form in 2026.
Goodell continued: “In the long term, we want to continue this and ensure that talent is recognized and opportunities are created.” He did not attribute the lack of diversity to the program’s hiatus.