NFL's Rooney Rule criticized by Super Bowl champ for being a "joke" to teams, particularly the Patriots.

Ryan Clark, a former Super Bowl champion and current ESPN NFL analyst, criticized the New England Patriots for their adherence to the Rooney Rule during their head-coaching search.

The NFL's Rooney Rule, established in 2003 by the NFL's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, mandates that each team with a head-coaching vacancy must interview at least two or more diverse candidates for the position. In 2022, the rule was expanded to include interviews for women as part of the "minority candidate definition."

The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as their next coach after firing Jerod Mayo, and interviewed Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich to comply with the Rooney Rule before the playoffs were over.

"I believe this highlights the Rooney Rule, which I feel the New England Patriots mocked, as they interviewed Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, two coaches who aren't currently in football, solely to meet a quota," Clark stated on "Inside the NFL" on Thursday.

The Rooney Rule was established to provide minority coaches with the chance to interview with executives and owners who were genuinely interested in hiring the most qualified candidate. However, I believe that organizations now prioritize hiring the best person for the job. Nevertheless, we must ensure that coaches who have dedicated their lives to this opportunity are not tokenized in the hiring process.

Teams who want to skip the Rooney Rule, like the New England Patriots probably would have, because they wanted Mike Vrabel, should be allowed to hire someone on the lower level that reports directly to the head coach and offensive coordinator, so they could get some of that tutelage that allows their resumes and their careers to build.

"Let's put an end to the fake interviews that only serve to claim compliance with the Rooney Rule. Although it may have been effective initially, it has now become a joke among NFL coaches and the people it was intended to assist."

During his playing career, Vrabel won three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots.

In 2018, he began his coaching career with the Tennessee Titans and achieved a record of 54-45 with the team. During his tenure, he led the Titans to three playoff appearances, including an AFC Championship appearance.

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