The NFL has denied that pressure from Donald Trump has influenced its new diversity policy, pushing back against speculation about politics shaping league decisions
09:29 ET, 13 Mar 2026
A general view of the NFL logo painted on the field prior to the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks
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The NFL has relaunched its Accelerator program(Image: Getty Images)
The NFL is pushing back against claims that its latest policy update on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was influenced by Donald Trump.
The NFL’s Front Office and Coaching Accelerator Program is set to return in May following a 12-month hiatus, fulfilling the league’s promise from a year ago to revamp the initiative. The two-day program, originally designed to identify and advance minority talent, will now also include non-minority participants when it restarts.
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Over the past year, the league has worked to reimagine a program that has produced just one head coach and two general managers since its 2022 launch. The redesigned Accelerator Program will kick off on May 18, featuring a smaller participant pool and welcoming white male candidates. Meanwhile, an NFL star has been dragged into a social media controversy after his team got tricked by an imposter.
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Additionally, the program will shift its focus from individuals within five years of top-level positions to those deemed ready for advancement in the upcoming cycle.
Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, told CBS Sports that he expects around 40 candidates in total, with “really strong diverse representation.”
"The Accelerator still has the overriding goal of supporting the advancement of underrepresented football talent," Beane said. "We believe, though, and if you look at all of our programs, we have a framework of broadening access across the board where we're allowing availability for people of all demographics to participate in our programs.
"So, this is not something that just relates to the Accelerator, but this is a philosophy and a way of operating and an evolution for us as a league.
"There was a lot of discussion, got a lot of feedback. And when I spoke to GMs, head coaches, owners, participants, past participants, and I think there was an abundance of support for having a program that's inclusive of all talent."
Donald Trump
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The NFL says its new policy hasn't been influenced by Donald Trump's war(Image: Getty Images)
Commissioner Roger Goodell has emphasized that the NFL continues to value diversity, even as DEI initiatives face rollbacks nationwide.
Last year, the Trump administration aimed to eliminate DEI practices across federal agencies, issuing a 2025 order requiring department heads to end DEI offices, programs, grants, and related performance requirements wherever legally possible.
Beane clarified that the inclusion of white male participants in the Accelerator Program is unrelated to these federal actions. "This is not us taking the direction of anyone on the outside," Beane said.
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"It's not a reaction to D.C. ... This is an evolution of how we are committing on developing our people and wanting to be more inclusive in that approach, yet also still stay true to our overriding goals of ensuring that we're supporting underrepresented talent with their aspirations as well. Instead of either/or, we think we can achieve both."