National Football League (NFL)

Quick Take

The NFL spreads its political money across both parties. Its Gridiron PAC (political action committee, a fund that gives to candidates) has given about $1.9 million to Democrats and $1.7 million to Republicans since 2010, and the league spent $1.5 million on federal lobbying in 2024 [7]. Its public statements have shifted over time: in June 2020 Goodell said "black lives matter" and the league pledged $250 million to fight systemic racism [8][9]. Since 2025 it has kept its diversity programs while a state attorney general pushes back [10], reworded how it describes its best-known hiring rule [11], and stood by a Spanish-language halftime show the White House attacked [3].

A Trade Group That Gave Up Its Tax Break

The NFL's league office paid no federal income tax for decades, and gave that status up in 2015. The league office had been tax exempt since 1942, while the 32 teams paid taxes on their own income [12]. In April 2015 Goodell said the league office would file as a taxable entity starting with the 2015 fiscal year, calling the exemption a "distraction" and writing that "the business of the NFL has never been tax exempt" [12]. Until then it was classified as a 501(c)(6) organization, the tax category for trade associations [13].

Goodell remains in charge. In September 2026 the owners extended his contract through March 31, 2031 [5][14].

Every team is privately owned except the Green Bay Packers, the only publicly owned team in the league, whose shares are held by more than 538,000 people [15]. In August 2024 the owners voted to let a short list of approved private equity funds buy up to 10 percent of a team. Sovereign wealth funds (investment funds owned by national governments) and pension funds cannot invest in a team directly, though a sovereign wealth fund may own up to 7.5 percent of an approved fund that holds a team stake [16][17].

Television pays for much of the operation. In 2021 the league signed media deals worth more than $110 billion over 11 years with partners including CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and ABC [18]. In August 2025 the NFL agreed to sell NFL Network and other media assets to ESPN in exchange for a 10 percent ownership stake in ESPN [19]. The two sides finalized the deal in early 2026 after federal approval, including from the U.S. Department of Justice [20].

Where the PAC Money Goes

The NFL's PAC gives to both parties, but its balance has shifted from year to year. The Gridiron PAC registered with the Federal Election Commission in June 2008 and is classified as a lobbyist PAC [21]. In the 2023-2024 election cycle it raised $732,995.74 and gave $774,500 to other committees, a category that covers candidates, party committees and other PACs [21]. It raised $1,180,970.55 in the 2019-2020 cycle and $965,618.13 in the 2021-2022 cycle [21].

Since it began giving in the 2010 cycle, the PAC has donated about $1.9 million to Democrats and $1.7 million to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics [7]. In the 2024 cycle, 58 percent of the money from the PAC and league employees combined went to Democrats, the fourth straight cycle that favored Democrats; the PAC supplied 86 percent of that money [7].

Its largest 2024-cycle House checks, the $10,000 maximum, went to Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Richard Neal, all Democrats, and to Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler [7]. In the Senate, Democrat Amy Klobuchar received $10,000, Republican John Barrasso $7,500 and Republican Eric Schmitt $5,500 [7].

Single years have leaned hard one way. From January through late October 2020 the PAC had given $128,500 to Republicans and $58,000 to Democrats [22]. In 2023 it made 63 contributions to Republican lawmakers totaling $134,000, including three to Rep. Jim Jordan, and 15 to Democrats totaling $38,500 [23]. The league's response at the time: "The Gridiron PAC gives equally to incumbent federal officeholders in both parties each cycle" [23].

The league has also given to a presidential inauguration. In 2017 its marketing arm, NFL Ventures LP, gave $100,000 to President Trump's first inaugural committee [24].

Two things are not counted here. The players' union runs its own PAC, the NFL Players Association One Team PAC, which is a separate organization and has mostly stayed out of politics since 2020 [7]. Team owners also give large sums personally; that is their own money, not the league's.

The Lobbying Footprint

The NFL spent $1.5 million on federal lobbying in both 2023 and 2024, the most since its record $1.6 million in 2018, and had already spent $1 million in the first half of 2025, according to OpenSecrets [7]. In 2024 it used five outside lobbying firms plus its own in-house lobbyists, led by FGS Global ($360,000) and Capitol Counsel ($320,000). By mid-2025 it was using nine firms, with Ballard Partners, a firm OpenSecrets describes as having deep ties to the Trump administration, ranking second [7].

Ballard's assignment, reported when it was hired, covers stadium construction, security, federal ticketing reforms and the regulation of sports betting [25]. In 2024 the league's lobbyists worked mainly on three bills: giving governments more power to stop threatening drones, putting heart defibrillators and CPR training in schools, and letting Washington, D.C., redevelop the old RFK Stadium site so the Commanders could build there. The RFK bill became law [7].

Sports betting shows how the league's position has moved. In 2012 the NFL joined other leagues and the NCAA in suing to block New Jersey from legalizing sports betting [26]. After the Supreme Court cleared the way for legal betting in 2018, the NFL asked Congress to "enact a core regulatory framework" for it [27]. In August 2025 a league executive warned that prediction markets, sites that let users trade contracts on the outcome of games, "could be susceptible to manipulation" [28]. On October 8, 2026, the NFL filed a brief at the Supreme Court arguing that those contracts are a form of sports betting that "threatens game integrity" and should be regulated like it [29].

The league's TV model is also under federal review. In April 2026 the Associated Press reported that the Justice Department was investigating the NFL for possible anticompetitive practices; the league said its media model "is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry" [30]. Congress is looking at the same question. In June 2026 the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, released a staff report titled "The Sports Broadcasting Act: A Special-Interest Antitrust Exemption Gone Awry," which says the NFL "has stretched an antitrust exemption" [31]. Goodell declined an invitation to testify at the committee's June 10 hearing, citing ongoing litigation [32]. In June 2026 the NFL publicly backed the Protect College Sports Act, applauding Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Eric Schmitt and Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell and Chris Coons [33].

From the Anthem Fight to "Black Lives Matter"

The league's public stance on player protest reversed between 2016 and 2020. When quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat during the national anthem in August 2016, the league said players were "encouraged but not required to stand" [34]. In September 2017 President Trump told a rally crowd that owners should "get that son of a bitch off the field" [35]. Goodell called the remarks "divisive" and said they showed "an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL" [36]. Two months later, in November 2017, the league agreed to commit $89 million over seven years to criminal justice reform and other causes, with half going to the Players Coalition, a group of NFL players; the agreement did not require players to stop protesting during the anthem [37].

In May 2018 the owners adopted a rule requiring players on the field to stand for the anthem, letting those who chose not to stay in the locker room, with fines falling on teams rather than players [38]. Two months later the league and the players' union put the rule on hold [39]. In February 2019 the league settled grievances from Kaepernick and teammate Eric Reid, who had claimed owners colluded to keep them off rosters; the terms are confidential [40].

On June 5, 2020, Goodell released a video saying, "We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier," and, "We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter" [8]. Six days later the league pledged $250 million over 10 years to fight systemic racism [9]. The league now says it and its teams have more than doubled that goal [41]. That fall, "End Racism" and "It Takes All of Us" were stenciled into end zones [42].

In July 2020 the Washington team began a review of its name with the league's support, after sponsors including FedEx, Nike, PepsiCo and Bank of America asked for a change [43]. It retired the name on July 13, 2020 [44]. The league also launched NFL Votes with the players' union in 2020, which it calls a nonpartisan voter-registration and civic program [45]. In April 2021, after Georgia passed a new voting law, Goodell wrote to league employees that "the right to vote is fundamental and at the core of our democracy" and that the league's "commitment to the right to vote and to fair and transparent elections is unwavering" [46].

Diversity Rules Under Pressure

The NFL has kept its diversity programs through 2026, but it has paused, widened and reworded parts of them. During Super Bowl week in February 2025, as the federal government moved against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, Goodell said, "We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League," and added that the Rooney Rule, the league's hiring rule for head coach, general manager and executive jobs, carries "no requirement to hire a particular individual on basis of race or gender" [47].

In May 2025 the league paused its Accelerator program for diverse coaching and executive candidates [48]. In March 2026 Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called the Rooney Rule "blatant race and sex discrimination." Goodell said he had no plans to scrap it, and the league said the Accelerator would return that May, opened to candidates of all backgrounds [10]. In May 2026 Uthmeier subpoenaed the league's records [49].

By May 2026 the league had also changed how it describes the rule. Its web page once said the Rooney Rule "aims to increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager, and executive positions" [11]. The current page says the rule "expands the pool of candidates considered" and adds, "Final hiring decisions remain with each club" [50].

The league has also distanced itself from players on the other side. After Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker criticized Pride Month and spoke about women's roles in a May 2024 commencement speech, the NFL's chief diversity officer said Butker spoke "in his personal capacity" and that "his views are not those of the NFL as an organization" [51]. In 2021, after defensive lineman Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay, Goodell said, "The NFL family is proud of Carl" [52], and the league posted a video that opened with the words "Football is gay" [53]. By June 2026 the league's main X account had not posted about Pride Month in three years, while 23 of 32 teams did; the league said it "will continue to highlight and amplify Pride-related content" [54].

Living With the Second Trump Administration

The league has worked with the White House on some fronts and held its ground on others. The Super Bowl LIX swap to "Choose Love" came as the president prepared to attend; NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the phrase was appropriate after recent wildfires and other tragedies, and two people familiar with the league's thinking denied that Trump's presence was the reason [2]. "End Racism" returned as an end-zone option for teams in the 2025 season [55], but not at Super Bowl LX, where the end zones again read "Choose Love" and "It Takes All of Us" [56][57].

In May 2025 Trump announced from the Oval Office, with Goodell present, that the 2027 NFL Draft will be held on the National Mall in Washington [58]. That July he demanded that the Commanders change their name back, writing that the "Washington 'Whatever's' should immediately change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team" [59]. In November 2025 ESPN reported that an intermediary had told the team's owners Trump wanted its planned new stadium named after him. The White House said that "would surely be a beautiful name," and the team declined to comment [60].

The sharpest split came over the Super Bowl LX halftime show. The league named Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny as the performer on September 28, 2025 [61]. Days later, Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, said immigration agents could be at the game [62], and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said of the league, "They suck and we'll win" [63]. Turning Point USA announced a rival "All American Halftime Show" celebrating "Faith, Family & Freedom" [64]. Goodell did not budge, saying the choice was "carefully thought through" [3]. Bad Bunny performed almost entirely in Spanish at the February 8, 2026, game, closing with a message that "the only thing more powerful than hate is love," and Trump called it "one of the worst halftime shows ever" [65].

The league's rules have cut against displays on both sides. In November 2024 it fined 49ers star Nick Bosa $11,255 for wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap during a postgame interview, under a rule barring players from showing personal messages on game day [66]. After the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025, the league said "the decision to hold a moment of silence honoring Charlie Kirk will be left to individual teams" [67].

Military Tributes and the "Paid Patriotism" Report

Salute to Service is the league's annual military-appreciation campaign. By 2016 the league said it had raised nearly $10 million since 2011 for groups including the USO, the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project [68]. In 2015 a report by Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake found the Defense Department had paid NFL teams for on-field military tributes, and Goodell promised to refund any "inappropriate payments" [69]. In May 2016 the league said it would return more than $723,000 to taxpayers [70].

Games Abroad, Partly Paid For by Governments

The NFL is now a global product, and some host governments help pay for it. The 2026 schedule includes games in Australia, Brazil, England, France, Spain, Germany and Mexico [71]. Ireland's government agreed to provide up to 9.95 million euros for the league's first game in Dublin in September 2025 [72], and the regional government of Madrid committed 1.5 million euros to sponsor the 2025 Madrid game [73].

In the Courtroom

The league's legal record is long. In April 2015 a federal judge approved an uncapped settlement of former players' concussion claims that runs for 65 years [74]; by November 2024 the league had paid more than $1.3 billion under it [75]. In October 2021 the league agreed to stop "race-norming," the use of race-based scoring in the dementia tests that decide payouts [76].

In June 2024 a jury ordered the league to pay about $4.7 billion to Sunday Ticket subscribers who said they were overcharged, but the trial judge threw out the verdict that August [77]. A federal appeals court heard the subscribers' appeal in March 2026 [78]. In 2023 former Commanders owner Dan Snyder agreed to pay a $60 million fine after a league investigation found sexual harassment and financial improprieties [79]. In May 2026 the Supreme Court declined to hear the league's bid to move coach Brian Flores's racial discrimination suit into arbitration, so the case stays in federal court [80]. Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden's lawsuit over leaked emails is also moving toward trial after Nevada's Supreme Court let it proceed [81].

Where to Find Them

The league's home online is NFL.com. Games air on partners including CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and ABC [18], while the league's own NFL+ service streams live local and prime-time games on mobile devices [82]. Official merchandise sells through NFL Shop [83].

Footnotes

[1] Mike Gavin, "Donald Trump arrives at Super Bowl, becomes first sitting president to attend," NBC Washington, February 9, 2025. https://www.nbcwashington.com/super-bowl/donald-trump-arrives-super-bowl-eagles-chiefs-2

[2] Rob Maaddi, "NFL is stenciling 'Choose Love' in an end zone for the Super Bowl to uplift country after tragedies," Associated Press (via WJXT News4JAX), February 4, 2025. https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2025/02/04/nfl-is-stenciling-choose-love-in-an-end-zone-for-the-super-bowl-to-uplift-country-after-tragedies/

[3] Stephen Whyno, "Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show is not being reconsidered, NFL commissioner says," Associated Press (via ABC7), October 23, 2025. https://abc7.com/post/bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show-is-not-being-reconsidered-nfl-commissioner-says/18058838/

[4] National Football League, Brief for Appellants, Corporate Disclosure Statement, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, October 26, 2015. https://www.steptoe.com/a/web/6ECiHpbMF43BjK8KcQeZ9f/3ZFvfY/20151026-nfl-deflategate-appeal-brief.pdf

[5] Mark Maske, "NFL Owners Finalize Contract Extension for Roger Goodell," Front Office Sports, September 6, 2026. https://frontofficesports.com/article/nfl-owners-finalize-contract-extension-roger-goodell/

[6] Eric Fisher, "Packers Made Whopping $753 Million in Revenue Last Season," Front Office Sports, July 24, 2026. https://frontofficesports.com/article/packers-earnings-nfl-revenue-media/

[7] Natalie Jonas, Alex Baumgart and David Meyers (OpenSecrets), "The NFL plays politics, not just football," Stacker, October 3, 2025. https://stacker.com/stories/football/nfl-plays-politics-not-just-football

[8] Cody Benjamin, "Roger Goodell says NFL was 'wrong for not listening' earlier, encourages all to peacefully protest," CBS Sports, June 5, 2020. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/roger-goodell-says-nfl-was-wrong-for-not-listening-earlier-encourages-all-to-peacefully-protest

[9] Nick Selbe, "NFL Commits $250M Over 10 Years to Fight Systemic Racism," Sports Illustrated, June 11, 2020. https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/06/11/nfl-commits-250-million-dollars-systemic-racism-roger-goodell

[10] David Brandt, "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has no plans to scrap Rooney Rule, despite Florida AG pressure," Associated Press (via WJXT News4JAX), March 31, 2026. https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/04/01/nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-has-no-plans-to-scrap-rooney-rule-despite-florida-ag-pressure/

[11] Lamar Johnson, "Florida AG subpoenas NFL over inclusive hiring practices, 'Rooney Rule'," ESG Dive, May 14, 2026. https://www.esgdive.com/news/florida-ag-subpoenas-nfl-over-inclusive-hiring-practices-rooney-rule/820268/

[12] Stephen Ohlemacher, "National Football League surrenders tax-exempt status," Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour), April 28, 2015. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/national-football-league-surrenders-tax-exempt-status

[13] Saranac Hale Spencer, "Trump Didn't Change NFL Tax Status," FactCheck.org, October 12, 2017. https://www.factcheck.org/2017/10/trump-didnt-change-nfl-tax-status

[14] Mike Florio, "NFL announces new contract for Roger Goodell," NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk), September 6, 2026. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-announces-new-contract-for-roger-goodell

[15] Jake Piazza, "The Green Bay Packers are the one NFL team owned by its fans. Here's how it works," CNBC (via NBC DFW), September 6, 2024. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/money-report/the-green-bay-packers-are-the-one-nfl-team-owned-by-its-fans-heres-how-it-works/3638816/

[16] Judy Battista, "NFL owners vote to allow private equity funds to buy stakes in teams," NFL.com, August 27, 2024. https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-owners-vote-to-allow-private-equity-funds-to-buy-stakes-in-teams

[17] David Rumsey, "PIF, Other Sovereign Wealth Funds Now Have Entry Point Into NFL," Front Office Sports, August 27, 2024. https://frontofficesports.com/pif-other-sovereign-wealth-funds-now-have-entry-point-into-nfl/

[18] The Washington Post, "NFL announces new TV, streaming deals worth more than $110 billion," via Indianapolis Business Journal, March 19, 2021. https://www.ibj.com/articles/nfl-announces-new-tv-streaming-deals-worth-more-than-110-billion

[19] Associated Press, "NFL and ESPN reach nonbinding agreement for sale of NFL Network and other media assets," via KAXE, August 5, 2025. https://www.kaxe.org/news/2025-08-05/nfl-and-espn-reach-nonbinding-agreement-for-sale-of-nfl-network-and-other-media-assets

[20] Eric Fisher, "NFL, ESPN Finalize Landmark Deal After Federal Approval," Front Office Sports, February 1, 2026. https://frontofficesports.com/article/nfl-espn-finalize-landmark-deal-after-federal-approval/

[21] Federal Election Commission, committee C00451153, GRIDIRON-PAC: registration and financial summaries for the 2019-2020, 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 cycles, accessed October 10, 2026. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00451153/?cycle=2024

[22] Torrey Hart, "Majority of 2020 NFL PAC Donations Went to Republicans," Front Office Sports, October 23, 2020. https://frontofficesports.com/article/majority-of-2020-nfl-pac-donations-went-to-republicans/

[23] Daniel Kaplan, "NFL Gridiron PAC donations heavily favored Republicans in 2023 including Jim Jordan," Awful Announcing, March 6, 2024. https://awfulannouncing.com/politics/nfl-gridiron-pac-donations-favored-republicans-jim-jordan-2023.html

[24] Dave Levinthal, "Donald Trump inauguration bankrolled by corporate giants," Center for Public Integrity, April 19, 2017. https://publicintegrity.org/politics/donald-trump-inauguration-bankrolled-by-corporate-giants/

[25] Kevin McCauley, "Ballard Partners Kicks Off NFL Push," O'Dwyer's, February 26, 2025. https://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/22617/2025-02-26/ballard-partners-kicks-off-nfl-push.html

[26] Julia Zebley, "College and pro sports leagues sue New Jersey to prevent sports gambling," JURIST, August 9, 2012. https://www.jurist.org/news/2012/08/college-and-pro-sports-leagues-sue-new-jersey-to-prevent-sports-gambling/

[27] CBS News and Associated Press, "MLB, NFL, NBA react to Supreme Court decision on sports gambling," CBS News, May 14, 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-decision-sports-betting-mlb-nfl-nba-react-2018-05-14/

[28] Nathan Bomey, "NFL 'concerned' about sports 'manipulation' via prediction markets," Axios, August 25, 2025. https://www.axios.com/2025/08/25/nfl-sports-betting-prediction-markets

[29] Brad Senkiw, "NFL Believes Prediction Market 'Swaps' Are Bets, Calls for Sports Betting-Like Regulation," Covers, October 8, 2026. https://www.covers.com/industry/nfl-calls-for-supreme-court-ruling-on-prediction-markets-oct-8-2026

[30] Joe Reedy and Eric Tucker, "Justice Department is investigating the NFL for potential anticompetitive practices, AP source says," Associated Press (via WJXT News4JAX), April 9, 2026. https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2026/04/09/justice-department-is-investigating-the-nfl-for-potential-anticompetitive-practices-ap-source-says/

[31] House Judiciary Committee, "New Report | The Sports Broadcasting Act: A Special-Interest Antitrust Exemption Gone Awry," press release, June 8, 2026. https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/new-report-sports-broadcasting-act-special-interest-antitrust-exemption-gone

[32] Ben Nuckols, "NFL commissioner Roger Goodell won't testify before Congress about league's TV and streaming deals," Associated Press (via KSL), June 3, 2026. https://www.ksl.com/article/51506561/nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-wont-testify-before-congress-about-leagues-tv-and-streaming-deals

[33] Andy Berg, "NFL, NFLPA, NBAPA Express Support of 'Protect College Sports Act'," Athletic Business, June 18, 2026. https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/governing-bodies/article/15828004/nfl-nflpa-nbapa-express-support-of-protect-college-sports-act

[34] "Niners QB Kaepernick refuses to stand for anthem in protest," Juneau Empire, August 28, 2016. https://juneauempire.com/sports/niners-qb-kaepernick-refuses-to-stand-for-anthem-in-protest

[35] Arun Srinivasan, "Trump rips anthem protesters: 'Get that son of a b---- off the field'," theScore, undated page covering a September 22, 2017, rally, accessed October 10, 2026. https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1380252

[36] Kathryn Watson, "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calls Trump's comments 'divisive'," CBS News, September 23, 2017. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-trump-responds-divisive-attack/

[37] Jim Trotter and Jason Reid, "Sources: NFL agrees to commit $89M over seven years to social justice causes," ESPN (via ABC News), November 30, 2017. https://abcnews.com/Sports/sources-nfl-agrees-commit-89m-years-social-justice/story?id=51478918

[38] Associated Press, "NFL owners adopt policy prohibiting kneeling on the field during the anthem," via Bangor Daily News, May 23, 2018. https://bangordailynews.com/2018/05/23/sports/nfl/nfl-owners-adopt-policy-prohibiting-kneeling-on-the-field-during-the-anthem/

[39] Sean Wagner-McGough, "NFL hits pause on new anthem policy as it continues talks with NFLPA to find 'solution'," CBS Sports, July 19, 2018. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-hits-pause-on-new-anthem-policy-as-it-continues-talks-with-nflpa-to-find-solution/

[40] Christopher Brito and Justin Bey, "Colin Kaepernick and NFL reach settlement in collusion lawsuit," CBS News, February 15, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-colin-kaepernick-reach-resolution-collusion-case-today-2019-02-15/

[41] National Football League, Inspire Change support for social justice page, NFL.com, accessed October 10, 2026. https://www.nfl.com/causes/inspire-change/resources/support-for-social-justice

[42] Cindy Boren, "NFL end zones will bear 'End Racism' and 'It Takes All of Us' messages in home openers," The Washington Post (via Boston.com), July 28, 2020. https://www.boston.com/sports/nfl/2020/07/28/nfl-end-zones-home-openers/

[43] Associated Press, "Reports: Washington to shed 'Redskins' name Monday," via WJXT News4JAX, July 13, 2020. https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2020/07/13/reports-washington-to-shed-redskins-name-monday/

[44] Stephen Whyno, "Washington NFL team dropping 'Redskins' name after 87 years," Associated Press (via WHYY), July 13, 2020. https://whyy.org/articles/washington-nfl-team-dropping-redskins-name-after-87-years/

[45] National Football League, NFL Votes page, NFL.com, accessed October 10, 2026. https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-encourages-voting-and-civic-engagement-through-nfl-votes

[46] ProFootballTalk, "Roger Goodell responds to internal questions about Georgia voting legislation," NBC Sports, April 6, 2021. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/roger-goodell-responds-to-internal-questions-about-georgia-voting-legislation

[47] Lindsay Jones, "Roger Goodell Defended the NFL's DEI Policies. Will He Do So If Political Pressure Comes Next?," The Ringer, February 4, 2025. https://www.theringer.com/2025/02/04/nfl/roger-goodell-nfl-dei-policies-donald-trump-super-bowl-press-conference

[48] Josh Dubow, "NFL pauses accelerator program aimed at increasing diverse hirings," Associated Press (via WJXT News4JAX), May 13, 2025. https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2025/05/13/nfl-pauses-accelerator-program-aimed-at-increasing-diverse-hirings/

[49] Mitch Perry, "Uthmeier subpoenas the NFL over the Rooney Rule," Florida Phoenix, May 13, 2026. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/05/13/uthmeier-subpeonas-the-nfl-over-the-rooney-rule/

[50] National Football League, Rooney Rule page, NFL.com, accessed October 10, 2026. https://www.nfl.com/causes/inclusion/the-rooney-rule

[51] Associated Press, "NFL distances itself from Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's comments during commencement speech," via WJXT News4JAX, May 16, 2024. https://www.news4jax.com/sports/2024/05/16/nfl-distances-itself-from-chiefs-kicker-harrison-butkers-comments-during-commencement-speech/

[52] Arnie Stapleton, "Carl Nassib is first active NFL player to come out as gay," Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour), June 22, 2021. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/carl-nassib-is-first-active-nfl-player-to-come-out-as-gay

[53] Brandon Contes, "'Football is Gay': NFL Pledges Support for LGBTQ Community One Week After Carl Nassib Becomes First Active Player to Come Out," Mediaite, June 28, 2021. https://www.mediaite.com/media/sports/football-is-gay-nfl-pledges-support-for-lgbtq-community-one-week-after-carl-nassib-becomes-first-active-player-to-come-out/

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