NFL considers minority hiring for head coaches and general managers as a way for teams to boost their draft status: report

• The NFL is considering a proposal that would boost the draft status of teams who hire minority candidates as head coaches and general managers, according to Reuters.
• The proposal includes allowing teams who hire a minority coach and general manager in the same year to jump 16 places in the third or second round of the draft.
• It would also allow teams who hire new minority general managers to jump 10 places in the third round of the draft of the second year after they're hired, Reuters reported.
• The proposal comes after NFL commissioner Rodger Goodwell acknowledged the need for diversity among head coaches and general managers at Super Bowl LIV.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The NFL is reportedly considering a proposal that would boost the draft status of teams who hire minority candidates as head coaches and general managers.

According to NFL.com, the league will present a proposal on Tuesday during an NFL owners meeting that would allow teams who hire minority general managers to jump 10 places in the third round of the draft after the second year from when they've been hired.

Teams who hire head coaches of color would jump six places in the third draft round of their second season.

If a team hires a minority coach and general manager in the same year, they would be allowed to jump 16 places in the third — or potentially the second round — of the draft.

According to Reuters, teams who hire diverse general managers or head coaches would also receive a five-spot boost in the fourth round of the draft before their third season of being hired.

The proposal comes after NFL commissioner Rodger Goodwell acknowledged the need for diversity among head coaches and general managers at this year's Super Bowl LIV.

Goodwell noted the lack of diversity in the league after not hiring a single Black head coach in 2019, despite the NFL having the Rooney Rule in place — which requires each team to interview at least one minority candidate for any head coach or senior football operations position.

The league only has four non-white head coaches and two non-white general managers, despite the rule being in place since 2003.

The new proposal would change the existing Rooney Rule by boosting teams who hire minority candidates and doubling the number of minority candidates that must be interviewed to fill head coach and senior football operations positions to two.

In addition to boosting teams in the draft who hire minority candidates as their general managers or head coaches, the NFL is looking to eliminate a rule that lets teams stop assistant coaches from moving to take coordinator roles on other teams. Some argue this will be helpful for minority candidates because teams generally want head coaches with coordinator experience.

The proposal will need 24 out of 34 teams to vote in favor of the new rules in order to pass at the Tuesday meeting.