Rooney Rule Founders Rip Into NFL Before Super Bowl as Patriots’ Mike Vrabel & Bears’ Ben Johnson Hiring in Question

It takes a lot of time to build a legacy—even Rome was not built in a day. The legacy we’re talking about here is the Rooney Rule. The rule basically says that NFL teams must interview at least one ethnic minority or female candidate for the HC or senior football operation jobs. Doesn’t that sound like something the authorities should have followed naturally, anyway? Well, ask the thousands of deserving minority coaches who never got the chance to make it big. Even if they were good. But ever since the rule came into practice in ‘03, we have all witnessed how it impacted the league- some good, some bad.

Almost every team now has minority coaches. And it’s all thanks to the founders of the rule, like Cyrus Mehri and John Wooten. Just like we said, it takes a lot of time to build something. It cannot be 100% perfect and effective instantly. And recently, in a pre-Super Bowl news conference, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed his views on a similar topic. “I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” Roger said. The founders agree that the rule is bearing fruit, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Cyrus also shared his views with ESPN, “There’s been a historic challenge when it comes to Black coaches in the offensive coordinator position.”

Despite the progress, Mehri believes there’s still a major gap in opportunities for Black coaches, especially in offensive coordinator roles. He pointed out that more than half of head coaching jobs are filled through that position, making it the primary pathway to the top. However, with Black coaches underrepresented in that role, it creates a major roadblock. “We’re nowhere near where we could be or should be,” Mehri added.

As of now, there are no black offensive coordinators in the NFL. One offensive coordinator though, Giants’ Mike Kafka, is part-Puerto Rican, and he is said to have attended the NFL’s minority-focused accelerator program.

Moving on, John Wooten, who has witnessed the league’s evolution firsthand, acknowledges the Rooney Rule’s impact despite its flaws. As a former NFL player and the first chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, he’s seen the difference the rule has made. “When I played in the NFL, we never had a Black coach in that room, period,” Wooten said.

Now, as fans gear up to watch the Super Bowl, minority coaches are a visible presence on the sidelines. A testament to the rule’s influence. Still, there are only seven Black head coaches at the start of the 2024 season. There’s a clear need for continued progress. But what about the recent hirings?

Roger Goodell backs the Rooney Rule, but does Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson’s hiring raise questions?

The New England Patriots have arguably used the Rooney Rule as a mere formality more than any other team. Last spring, they brought in two minority candidates before ultimately promoting Eliot Wolf to the de facto general manager role. Earlier this month, they interviewed Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton. It was already clear that Mike Vrabel was their top choice for head coach.

Former NFL player Ryan Clark called out this approach on Inside the NFL, “I think this kind of puts a light on the Rooney Rule, which, to me, the New England Patriots made a mockery of.” Now that the Bears have officially hired Ben Johnson, the discussion around the Rooney Rule’s effectiveness continues, with many questioning whether teams conducted these interviews in good faith or simply to meet league requirements.

It is reported that the Bears hired Ben Johnson without even interviewing him in person. Kevin Warren, who is Bears President, has now filled out a senior staff that is somewhat the most diverse in the entire NFL. Even their General Manager Ryan Poles is black. And if we glance at the final month of the season then we are looking at the Bears having Black men as head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator.

Look, people always look for a loophole whenever someone introduces a rule—just like NFL teams have found ways to undermine its purpose, turning it into a procedural hurdle rather than a meaningful step toward diversity. Qualified minority candidates now face the grim reality of being “Rooney’d“—brought in to fulfill a requirement rather than given a legitimate shot at the job. While some still hope to change minds in the interview room, the growing frustration with the rule’s misuse is undeniable.