Roger Goodell Meets with Civil Rights Leaders to Discuss NFL's Hiring Practices

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and a group of team owners met with civil rights leaders on Thursday in the wake of Brian Flores' lawsuit putting the league's hiring practices under the microscope.

The Associated Press reported the civil rights leaders "urged the league to make drastic changes to its hiring practices to improve diversity in leadership positions."

Marc H. Morial, the president of the National Urban League, commented on the matter.

"The NFL has produced an astonishing pool of Black coaching talent that owners routinely have ignored when filling the top job,” he said. “We are committed to working with the owners and the league to bring the spirit of ‘Inspire Change’ to the head coaching rosters."

Concerns about the lack of diversity among the ranks of NFL head coaches and high-ranking front office executives have been expressed for multiple years. The most recent hiring cycle was a continuation of the trend.

Nine teams were looking for a new head coach, and only two hired a minority candidate: the Miami Dolphins (Mike McDaniel) and Houston Texans (Lovie Smith).

In the case of Smith, the Houston Chronicle's John McClain reported the Texans were strongly considering Josh McCown but grew worried about the optics given his lack of experience in a coaching role.

Flores brought more scrutiny toward the NFL through the allegations laid out in his lawsuit.

He claimed the New York Giants had already zeroed in on Brian Daboll before he had had the opportunity to conduct his interview. He alleged he had also interviewed with the Denver Broncos in 2019 and that Denver's representatives not only showed up late but that "it was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before."

On Feb. 1, the NFL addressed the suit and said it planned to "defend against these claims, which are without merit." 

Four days later, Goodell struck a different tone when he said the NFL "will not wait to reassess and modify our strategies to ensure that they are consistent with our values and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion."

NFL Media's Jim Trotter pressed Goodell on the matter again on Feb. 9. The commissioner said he and others are looking for ways to increase the level of diversity beyond just prominent roles within teams:

The NFL hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch through her law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as part of its defense team in Flores' lawsuit.

Thursday's meeting was the second between Goodell and civil rights leaders. During their first Feb. 8, the council of Black leaders suggested replacing the Rooney Rule.