NFL Clarifies Rooney Rule Amidst New England Patriots GM Search

The Rooney Rule comes up every offseason in the NFL during the hiring cycle. In an effort to give more minority candidates a chance at NFL jobs, the league made a rule that teams have to interview at least one minority candidate for any head coach or GM position. This has brought about much controversy. People wonder whether teams are actually serious about hiring minority candidates or whether they are brought in to check a box. The New England Patriots are in the midst of a GM search, and the league had to clarify the rule.

NFL Clarifies Rooney Rule

Eliot Wolf is the acting GM for the New England Patriots but does not officially have the title. Technically, the team is still in the hiring process. Many assume Wolf will get the job, which has led to people questioning whether they follow the Rooney Rule. The NFL clarified that no team is required to share the list of candidates they are interviewing with the public. The league has to know but we, the public, do not, as a league spokesperson pointed out. 

“[c]lubs have to report to the league names of people they have interviewed but are not required to make them public. There have been some candidates who do not want their names public.”

For the most part, we know who is getting interviews. It is hard to keep secrets in the NFL. However, there may be some candidates who do not want their names attached to a job. As the viewing public, we have gotten used to having all the information so it frustrates us when we feel we don’t have the whole story.

Why The Increased Interest?

The Rooney Rule has come up because many believe that Wolf is a shoo-in for the position. This causing many candidates to pass on the interview process altogether. However, the Patriots remain adamant they are still search. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reported that a team spokesperson said, “there wasn’t a singular person in the primary personnel position, and . . . there were no changes to anyone’s title.”

The Rooney Rule will continue to be a hotly debated topic. We have seen the rule working in the past few years as more coaches who are minorities are getting top league positions. Still, the NFL will continue to have to clarify the Rooney Rule until we get to a time where we do not need it any more.