Super Bowl Champion Criticizes How Patriots Celebrate NFL Rooney Rule ‘Joke’ For Teams
One-time Super Bowl champion and current ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark ripped the New England Patriots on how they followed the Rooney Rule during their head coaching search.
In the year The NFL’s Rooney Rule, created by the NFL’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2003, requires each team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least two or more diverse candidates. The rule was extended in 2022 to interview women as part of the “Minority Candidate Definition.”
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In the year Tennessee Titans’ Mike Vrabel on the field before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Wesley Heath/Getty Images)
A week after firing Jerrod Mayo, the Patriots hired their next coach, Mike Vrabel. The team conducted interviews with Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich to comply with the Rooney Rule – all of which took place before the playoffs.
“I think it kind of shines a light on the Rooney rule, which to me the New England Patriots used to scoff at,” Clarke said Thursday. “In the NFL.” “Just to fill a quota to interview Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, two coaches who are no longer in football.
“The Rooney Law is in place so some of these minority coaches really want to give the job to the best person to get opportunities to get in front of executives and some owners. Now, I want to. To be clear – I believe we’ve moved to a point where organizations hire the best person for the job but for this opportunity. Let’s interview coaches who have worked their entire lives.
For the first time in Spain, where the Liga International series continues to expand, the NFL has selected the Dolphins.
November 4, 2024; KANSAS CITY, Missouri: Broadcaster Ryan Clark before the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imag Images)
“I think for teams like the New England Patriots that want to skip the Rooney Rule, they probably want Mike Vrabel to let them hire someone at a lower level who reports directly to the head coach. Directly to the offensive coordinator, so they can get some mentorship that allows them to build off their careers and careers,” he said.
“Let’s end the bull-crap interviews just to say we did what the Rooney Rule was supposed to do. I believe it worked when it was first implemented. Now it’s run its course and become a joke to the NFL and the NFL coaches, and more importantly, to the people it was supposed to help.”
Vrabel has a long history with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowl titles with the team during his playing career.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel smiles while in attendance with team owner Robert Kraft, right, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
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He began his coaching career with the Tennessee Titans in 2018. He was 54-45 with the Titans and led them to three playoff appearances, including an AFC Championship appearance.
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