A day after some of the NFL’s biggest black stars called on their league to condemn racism and support their fight, the NFL has responded.
In a 1:21 video, commissioner Roger Goodell did just that.
Goodell gave his condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives to police brutality and then offered up the following statement:
While Goodell didn’t specifically mention Colin Kaepernick, it seems like the NFL will not fight players who wish to demonstrate during the national anthem. In fact, Goodell said the NFL will “encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
Kaepernick began his peaceful protest nearly four years ago, back in 2016.
This video from Goodell and the strong statement from the league comes just a day after Patrick Mahomes, Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr. and more created a video asking for this type of response from the league. To the league’s credit, it came pretty promptly.
In time, we’ll see what this means. It’s been an emotional week in the United States and this feels like a good start. But it also feels like a beginning for the NFL, a jumping off point. As far as players are concerned, this can’t be an empty statement. We’ll find out soon enough if there will be actions to back these words.
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