Patrick Graham sat alone at a Jacksonville steakhouse in January 2025 after interviewing for the Jaguars head coaching job, unaware the team was simultaneously finalizing a deal with Liam Coen. The experience left Graham questioning his worth, a sentiment familiar to many Black coaches who view such interviews as performative compliance with the Rooney Rule.

Despite 54% of NFL players being Black, only 3 of 32 head coaches entering 2026 are Black. The rule faces legal challenges from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and a federal lawsuit by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores. The latest hiring cycle produced just one minority hire — Robert Saleh with the Titans — across 10 openings.

The rule originated after a 2002 study by attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Cyrus Mehri showed Black coaches Tony Dungy and Dennis Green outperformed white counterparts but were fired faster. Named after Steelers owner Dan Rooney, it initially boosted minority head coaches to seven, but numbers have fluctuated between four and nine for two decades.

Thomas Brown, Patriots tight ends coach, told ESPN the rule cannot regulate ownership bias: "You would love to know when someone calls you about an interview that it's actually genuine." Many minority coaches now decline interviews entirely, fearing the process is merely a box-checking exercise.