Showing posts with label NFL DEI efforts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL DEI efforts. Show all posts

Monday, February 03, 2025

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell supports league's DEI efforts

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed a number of league topics on Monday including its diversity, equity and inclusion programsduring his news conference ahead of Super Bowl LIX Opening Night in New Orleans.

Goodell said he doesn't believe the NFL's policies to promote diversity are in conflict with President Donald Trump's administration's efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government.

The NFL has rules in place that require teams to interview diverse candidates for key coaching and front office positions as part of the Rooney Rule that has been in place for more than two decades.

"Our policies have been designed to be well within the law, well within the practice," Goodell said on Monday. "There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL.

"We also believe we are doing the right thing for the NFL and our policies are consistent with the current administration as well as the last administration."

Goodell said that the league's diversity efforts have made the NFL better and has "attracted better talent."

"We think we're better when we get different perspectives, people with different backgrounds, whether they're women or men or people of color, we make ourselves stronger and we make ourselves better when we have that," Goodell said. "It's something that I think it will have a tremendous impact on this lead for many, many years. We win on the field with the best talent and the best coaching, and I think the same's true off the field.

"We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we're going to continue those efforts because we've not only convinced ourselves, I think we've proven ourselves that it does make the NFL better. So, we're not in this because it's a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it, our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League, both on and off the field, as I said previously. And we see that. We see how it's benefited the National Football League. And so, I think we'll continue those efforts. I think it's also clearly a reflection of our fan base and our communities and our players."