The NFL's diversity initiatives are taking a backseat, and what else to know ahead of owners meetings
Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL's medical experts are heavily in favor of banning the Tush Push and pushing plays, making it likely it gets the 24 owner votes to pass.
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The owners also will vote on whether to discontinue the practice of awarding an automatic home playoff game to division winners. Owners have long prioritized division championships, but Goodell is in favor of changing the system to a pure ranking by record.
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The owners likely will debate changes to the onside kick, which has reached a historically low rate of recovery (about 5 percent). And the owners will vote on whether to allow active players to participate in the 2028 Olympics flag football competition. The rules would permit only a few players from each team to participate.
But the meeting may be just as notable for what is not taking place — the NFL's 'head coach accelerator' diversity initiative, which was surprisingly canceled last week.
Since 2022 the NFL had been holding accelerators for minority GM and head coaching candidates to introduce owners to a more diverse group of candidates to improve the league's poor record of minority football hires. The NFL said it will reboot the program in 2026.
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'This will allow us to reimagine the program, reflecting on the feedback and engaging with stakeholders so we can ensure a successful program in the future,' NFL chief administrative officer Dasha Smith said.
Left unsaid is that the NFL owners didn't take the accelerator program too seriously — several owners (including the Patriots') skipped the networking events over the years, and rarely hired any of the minority candidates.
Canceling the program also comes in the wake of President Trump's war on diversity. And it happened just days after Goodell and the NFL puckered up to Trump, allowing him to announce
The NFL says it remains committed to the Rooney Rule and other diversity initiatives. Its actions will speak louder.
Ben Volin can be reached at
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