NFL to Bolster Inclusion Policies, Probe Tanking Allegations

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, left, walks off the field next to coach Brian Flores after the team's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL football game Oct. 24, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Fired Dolphins coach Flores sued the NFL and three teams Tuesday, Feb. 1, over alleged racist hiring practices for coaches and general managers, saying the league remains “rife with racism” even as it publicly condemns it. According to the lawsuit, Ross told Flores he would pay him $100,000 for every loss during the coach’s first season because he wanted the club to “tank” so it could get the draft’s top pick. Messages left with the Dolphins seeking comment were not immediately returned. (John McCall/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, File)

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By Associated Press

February 5, 2022 at 4:58 PM UTC

Updated on

February 6, 2022 at 7:13 AM UTC

(AP) -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Saturday the league will look to bolster policies meant to encourage hiring of minorities, particularly as head coaches, and he pledged an investigation into tanking allegations raised by Brian Flores in his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

“We will reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender,” Goodell wrote in a memo to the league's 32 clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press.