The NFL's Rooney Rule has long been a topic of conversation, even debate. What does it do?

The NFL's Rooney Rule has long been a topic of conversation, even debate. What does it do?

The NFL's Rooney Rule was designed to increase diversity in leadership by requiring in-person interviews, but it has faced criticism over the years for failing to significantly boost minority hiring.

What's Next: Eagles, Chargers Face Rest Deficiencies, But NFL Disputes Disadvantage

Whatever you think about the old rest vs. rust debate, the NFL believes the possible perceived advantage either side might have doesn't matter — and it has the data to back that up. Following the unveiling of the 2026 NFL regular season schedule, one of the details scrutinized for fairness is rest disparity, which measures how much time a team has to prepare for a given game, compared to its opponent. All 32 teams have 17 games in 18 weeks, so t…