Albert Breer: Patriots handling of Rooney Rule ‘looks like a sham’

The controversial mechanics of the NFL’s Rooney Rule are once again coming into the spotlight.

This time, it’s the New England Patriots who are the subject of widespread criticism about manipulating the spirit of the rule. And appearing on NBC Sports Boston to discuss the circumstances, Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Albert Breer didn’t mince words when conveying his feelings about what the Patriots are doing.

@nbcsbostonAlbert Breer is frustrated with the Patriots’ lack of diligence in their head-coaching search 😳♬ original sound – NBC Sports Boston

“It looks like a sham. I mean, I’ll call it what I think it is. Those are two guys, with all due respect to Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, I think they struggle to get coordinator jobs this year.

“And for people who don’t know the mechanics of the rule, you have to have at least two in-person interviews with diverse candidates. And you are not allowed to interview anyone who is working for a team, playoff or otherwise…until after the divisional round. So the reason you would do this and hustle two guys in who aren’t working for teams right now is because that’s the only way to check that box so you can actually go forward with hiring somebody.

“What gives the Patriots the right to do this? They haven’t had a legitimate coaching search in 25 years. The Rooney Rule didn’t exist 25 years ago. So you can say, ‘The rule sucks.’ And maybe it does. But what gives you the right not to have to jump through all the hoops that everyone else has for two decades?”

Breer isn’t the only person calling this out. On Tuesday, Fox NFL insider Jordan Schultz made similarly damning remarks about the Patriots’ shirking of the rule.

The comments serve as part of a larger discussion about representation in the NFL’s head coaching ranks. Earlier this week, Stephen A. Smith criticized the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo after just one season saying, “They call it Black Monday for a reason.”

It’s a conversation that seems to come up every year at this time. Sooner or later, the rule will need a retooling if teams continue to act like the Patriots.