Some NFL players and teams have taken action against social injustice and police brutality this week by boycotting practices and speaking out. Since the beginning of the protest, NFL teams have been very vocal against social and racial injustice. This time the NFL players to opt-out 2020 to protest against Jacob Blake shooting.
According to NFL.com’s Jim Trotter, “a few prominent Black players” told him that “they want to sit out a game to make their feelings felt and force change.”
Trotter added, “NFL owners should be careful. A few prominent Black players are telling me they want to sit out a game to make their feelings felt & force change. They are tired, frustrated, and emotional. It’s only a few at this point, but sparks become flames & flames become infernos.”
NFL owners should be careful. A few prominent Black players are telling me they want to sit out a game to make their feelings felt & force change/action. They are tired, frustrated and emotional. It’s only a few at this point, but sparks become flames & flames become infernos.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) August 28, 2020
NFL players to opt-out from different teams
Russell Wilson, one of the NFL’s biggest stars said that the Seahawks wouldn’t have played if they had a game this week.
“I think for us as a team, for the Seahawks, we’re definitely discussing what do we do next,” Wilson said on 710 ESPN Seattle. “How do we make a change? How do we cause movement, and how do we make a difference? We’re in the midst of all that right now. We don’t have weeks, and we don’t have months. We don’t have years to change it.”- Wilson said.
The Detroit Lions canceled Tuesday’s practice to speak out against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
New York Giants players Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard told reporters Thursday there is a possibility they could sit out a game during the season in protest of social injustice. Barley’s statement about this, “I can’t really just go and speak on behalf of the whole league, but, for us, that is something that we’re going to talk about within our [social justice] groups, within our team.”
Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, said that the NFL is “not living in reality” if it wasn’t expecting its players to stage some sort of strikes like the NBA and WNBA players did.
The 2020 NFL regular season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10 as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium, but already Nine other teams canceled their practices Thursday in protest of Blake’s shooting.
Other game statuses
In this case, the NFL has been a pioneer of setting an example against the social issues, and The NBA, WNBA, MLS, and NHL have all canceled or postponed games as players protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisc.
We already know numerous players who will not be standing for the national anthem, but we opting out the season might get some more supports and momentum for this noble protest!
