NFL hiring rule faces strain after coaches question interview process
ESPN reported that Patrick Graham’s Jaguars interview has become a flashpoint in renewed scrutiny of the Rooney Rule.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
A five-person dinner in Jacksonville became a table for one for Patrick Graham, and ESPN reports the episode is now echoing through the NFL’s debate over fair hiring.
Graham, then the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive coordinator, had interviewed in January 2025 for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head-coaching vacancy. Afterward, he went to a steakhouse expecting to meet owner Shahid Khan and team officials, according to ESPN. He waited alone for about half an hour and took a selfie with the empty seats.
ESPN reported, citing two NFL sources, that Jaguars executives were absent because they were discussing a deal with Liam Coen, who had returned to the team’s search after pulling out a day earlier. Graham had also crossed paths with Coen while leaving the Jaguars’ facility, which ESPN described as the first hint that Coen may have been in position to land the job while Graham’s interview was still happening.
Graham, now the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive coordinator, told ESPN the rejection itself was not what stung most. He said “that’s life,” but added that he was “hurt through the process.”
When he got home, ESPN reported, Graham fell to his knees crying in his garage. He told the network the experience made him question whether he had done enough, saying football was near the top of his priorities and that the sport he valued had “let me down and crushed me.”
A rule under pressure
Graham was the second minority candidate to have an in-person interview for the Jaguars job, ESPN reported. That meant Jacksonville had satisfied the Rooney Rule requirement once his interview ended.
The Rooney Rule, in place for 23 years, requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for several jobs. ESPN noted that the league’s definition of minority or diverse candidates includes Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous and women candidates.
Coaches told ESPN that Graham’s experience felt familiar to Black coaches who believe some interviews are held mainly to satisfy the rule. ESPN reported that concerns about the process have grown to the point that some coaches are removing themselves from consideration for interviews.
The numbers remain stark. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport reported that Black players made up about 54% of NFL rostered players in 2023. ESPN reported that only three of the league’s 32 head coaches entering the 2026 season are Black.
Legal fights and a lean hiring cycle
The rule is also facing legal and political scrutiny. ESPN reported that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an investigative subpoena to the NFL in May over its diversity and hiring practices as part of his campaign to keep his seat.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit challenging NFL hiring practices is also moving ahead in federal court, according to ESPN. The Supreme Court declined to hear the NFL’s petition, and ESPN reported that a federal judge last week rejected another attempt to send portions of the case to arbitration.
ESPN also reported that the NFL has pulled back two programs over the past year that had been part of its efforts to improve equitable hiring.
The latest head-coaching cycle added to the tension. ESPN reported that among a record-tying 10 openings, only one minority head coach was hired: Robert Saleh by the Tennessee Titans.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.