Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL will keep engaging with Florida attorney general James Uthmeier after Uthmeier issued an investigative subpoena tied to challenges over the league’s diversity initiatives and alleged revisions to its website.
Roger Goodell was still in Florida on Tuesday, stepping out of the most recent ownership meeting with the kind of question that doesn’t wait.
At the end of the sessions. during a press conference in which the league’s attention was meant to be on football business. the focus quickly shifted to James Uthmeier and his ongoing push against the NFL’s diversity initiatives. Uthmeier has taken a steadily more aggressive route. issuing an investigative subpoena to the league along with a letter that argues the NFL’s response to an earlier communication may have violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The allegation centers on what the NFL did on its public website. Uthmeier’s letter claimed the league revised “many references” connected to what he describes as unlawful “inclusive hiring” policies. When asked directly about the attorney general’s campaign. Goodell pointed to the league’s stance that its programs are lawful and constantly evaluated.
“I think we have been very clear about our programs. and we obviously evaluate them all the time. not just for how they get better. but also to make sure that they’re consistent with the law. ” Goodell said. “We’re engaging with the Florida attorney general and will continue to. We’ll share everything we’re doing with them. We think it’s certainly within the law, but also something very positive.”.
The pressure behind the subpoena isn’t just about the wording on a webpage. The toughest test for the NFL’s position. as framed through Uthmeier’s challenge. comes down to where hiring power actually sits. The decisions about coaches and General Managers are made by the teams, not by the league. And even with efforts to expand the interview pool to include diverse candidates. the ultimate selections do not necessarily mirror the demographics of the player population.
Uthmeier’s role in all of this has also added a political edge to the legal fight. He is running for election in 2026 for the job he received through a gubernatorial appointment. and his letter-writing campaign and request for information could be read by some as part of a bigger political performance. Whether it remains that—or evolves into something more—will likely hinge on what the NFL chooses to share next and what comes out of the attorney general’s investigation.
For now, Goodell’s message was direct: the NFL doesn’t plan to retreat from the dispute. It plans to stay in the conversation with Florida’s top legal office, while insisting its programs are consistent with the law and that the league’s approach is both evaluative and shared.
Roger Goodell NFL Florida attorney general James Uthmeier diversity initiatives investigative subpoena Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act inclusive hiring policies coaches general managers ownership meeting