NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league has no intention of updating its stance on DEI in the wake of Donald Trump’s return to office.

President Trump retracted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts soon after taking office on Jan. 20, 2025. As a result of his early action, federal employees in DEI roles were placed on paid leave as “the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs,”  AFROTECH™ previously reported.

Prior to and since Trump’s appointment, major companies, such as Target, Walmart, Meta, and Amazon, have severed their ties to DEI commitments. Others, such as JPMorgan Chase, Costco, Apple, and seemingly the NFL, are making it clear they will remain steadfast in their commitment to DEI.

“We didn’t get into this because it was a trend,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in December 2024. “And we’re not getting out of it because it’s a trend. We’re in it because it makes the NFL better. And what it is, is to make sure that we’re attracting the best possible talent into our league and to allow them opportunities to be able to advance. The best people are going into the league. And that’s what’s good for us.”

The NFL implemented the Rooney Rule, which requires two minority candidates from its external organization to be interviewed for head coach, general manager, and executive positions.

“Through hiring best practices, the Rooney Rule aims to increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager, and executive positions. This diversity enriches the game and creates a more effective, quality organization from top to bottom,” a statement on the NFL’s website reads.

The Washington Post reports that this resulted in the NFL hiring four minority head coaches, including three Black coaches, bringing the total number of minority head coaches to nine, with six being Black, for the 2024 season. However, by October, a minority coach had been fired. In 2025, two Black head coaches, Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots) and Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders), had lost their posts.

“I think for African American coaches and executives, this hiring cycle has probably produced more questions and concerns about where we’re headed with respect to those goals and objectives,” Rod Graves, former general manager of the Arizona Cardinals and current executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance—which advocates for minority hiring in the NFL—said in a phone interview Sunday, according to The Washington Post.

Six head coaching vacancies were open during the current NFL offseason. Still, only one has been filled by a minority candidate so far, raising concerns about the authenticity of the league’s commitment to diversity in its hiring practices.

“It makes you wonder whether teams are truly committed to the spirit of the Rooney Rule and what we were trying to accomplish with respect to diversity,” Graves said, per The Washington Post.

Nonetheless, Graves says there has been greater progress overall across the league, which currently has five Black head coaches and seven minority head coaches.

“We see a lot more diversity in terms of not only candidates of color but … experience,” Graves explained. “It’s certainly more diverse in that area than it was five, certainly 10 years ago.”