Former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark thinks the Rooney Rule has become a complete joke. That was made evident

Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark blasted the New England Patriots on "Inside the NFL" for how they complied with the NFL's Rooney Rule when they hired Mike Vrabel.

Did the New England Patriots violate the Rooney Rule in hiring Mike Vrabel? Uncover the controversy shaking up their hiring process.

Ryan Clark, former Super Bowl champion and ESPN analyst, criticizes the New England Patriots for their handling of the Rooney Rule during their recent head-coaching search, reigniting debates about NFL diversity efforts.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers found success with former NFL quarterback turned play-caller Byron Leftwich during his stint with the team. He was the team’s offensive coordinator when they won

The Rooney Rule is an NFL policy that requires teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. The rule was created to help coaches who are minorities but ESPN’s Ryan Clark isn’t convinced it’s effective.

People in New England reportedly “disapproved” of the team’s handling of the Rooney Rule in the head coach search

The Patriots announced they completed interviews with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton on Tuesday. That makes them the first team to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority candidates.

In searching for the successor to Jerod Mayo, the New England Patriots adhered to the ‘Rooney Rule’ — not in practice, but merely in principle.

Mike Vrabel is believed to be the frontrunner for the head coaching job in New England, and the team quickly cleared a path to hiring him by interviewing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton on Tuesday.

The Patriots are searching for a new coach after firing Jerod Mayo on Sunday following a brutal first season at the helm.

Robert Kraft has already satisfied the Rooney Rule by interviewing Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich in person, meaning the Patriots are the first of the six teams with a head-coaching vacancy who can make a hire.