Denver Broncos President Damani Leech praises NFL's diversity commitment as corporate America, government roll back DEI

Denver Broncos President Damani Leech praised the National Football League’s commitment to diversity amid corporate and government efforts to reduce diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices.

Leech is one of four African American presidents of NFL teams.

“I think we’ve all been hired in the last three to four years,” Leech told CNBC Sport from Radio Row in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl 59. “So I think the progress that the league has made there is pretty tremendous.”

Earlier this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell backed the league’s inclusive hiring practices, such as the Rooney Rule, a policy instituted in 2003 that requires teams to interview minority candidates for certain coaching and executive positions.

“I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” Goodell said this week. “We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League both on and off the field.”

Leech echoed the commissioner’s viewpoints. He joined the Broncos after spending three years as chief operating officer of NFL International from 2019 to 2022.

“I view diversity as a weapon,” said Leech. “I think you’re trying to get the best talent in the room, whether that’s on the field or off the field. And folks who don’t do that, I think they’ll do it at their expense. I think for us, we try to get the best talent we can, regardless of where you’re from. I think that our differences make us better. That’s both at a club level and at a league level.”

Leech’s comments come as a range of major corporations roll back their DEI hiring practices. Last month, the Trump administration also directed all federal DEI staff be put on paid leave before many lose their jobs.