Story perspectives

Florida AG subpoenas NFL, targets hiring rules, team relief

5/14/2026

Summary

Uthmeier Subpoenas NFL

Attorney General James Uthmeier subpoenaed the NFL for a Tallahassee hearing on June 12, 2026.
The subpoena requests NFL records on the Rooney Rule, Offensive Assistant Mandate, JC-2A, and race- and sex-based hiring data.
NFL counsel Ted Ullyot replied May 1 and removed race- and sex-related language from its hiring website.
Uthmeier said the change did not resolve his concerns and that the probe aims to free Jaguars, Dolphins and Buccaneers from the rules.

Summary

America First Sues

America First Legal, led by Stephen Miller, filed a 2024 complaint that the NFL’s hiring policies violate the law.
The Rooney Rule, created in 2003 after head coaches were dismissed, is cited by Groupon, Avis Budget Group and Williams Cos.
The NFL’s accelerator program, launched in 2022, paused in 2025, will resume in Orlando next week.
Florida’s attorney general says the league’s website may breach the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Summary

Uthmeier Targets NFL

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned the NFL in March he could file a civil lawsuit if the league fails to meet his demands.
In a later letter, Uthmeier praised the NFL for scrubbing website references and claimed it capitulated on some discriminatory hiring quotas.
The subpoena now targets the NFL’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs, including the discontinued minority offensive-assistant mandate and the diversity accelerator initiative.

History

Historical Context

The Rooney Rule, created in 2003 after civil-rights pressure, was expanded in 2022 to require each team’s offensive staff include at least one minority or woman. Entering the 2026 season the league has five minority head coaches. On June 12 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena and Stephen Miller’s America First Legal filed a complaint, echoing the original mandate.

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Uthmeier Subpoenas NFL

Attorney General James Uthmeier subpoenaed the NFL for a Tallahassee hearing on June 12, 2026.
The subpoena requests NFL records on the Rooney Rule, Offensive Assistant Mandate, JC-2A, and race- and sex-based hiring data.
NFL counsel Ted Ullyot replied May 1 and removed race- and sex-related language from its hiring website.
Uthmeier said the change did not resolve his concerns and that the probe aims to free Jaguars, Dolphins and Buccaneers from the rules.

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