Players will not be required to end protests during the national anthem under the proposed package GETTY IMAGES
NFL owners next week at the league meeting in Orlando are "expected to approve" the seven-year, $89M deal to "bankroll causes considered important to African-American communities," according to Jason Reid of THE UNDEFEATED. The NFL would "join forces with the Players Coalition, the main group of players who protested during the national anthem to shine a light on racial injustice, and become the first major sports league to partner with its players to effect social justice change." A three-fourths vote by owners (24 of 32) is "needed to ratify the proposal." Former NFLer and co-Founder of the Players Coalition Anquan Boldin said, "It really has been a couple of years’ worth of work to get to this point. To have them (owners) vote, and hopefully vote in our favor, to continue to work with the coalition is (important). I hope they realize the work that players have been doing, the impact that we’ve already had and how much more of an impact we can make with the NFL helping us and backing us." Reid cited a source as saying that $73M in national funding has already been "vetted and approved." The owners "must vote on the level of local funding from each team." The NFL’s proposed financial package "does not include language calling for players to end protests during the national anthem in exchange for funds." However, owners are "hopeful for a big payoff" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 3/22).
A DIFFERENT APPROACH: Free agent S Eric Reid said that he "does not intend to kneel during the anthem this season, a form of a protest that some believe explains why he remains on the free-agent market." In S.F., Eric Branch notes Reid is viewed as one of the "top safeties in free agency and his employment status has been closely monitored, given his decision to kneel during the anthem the past two seasons to protest social inequality." However, it also has been noted that the safety market "hasn’t taken off since free agency began March 14." Reid said, "I’m not going to say that I’m going to stop being active because I won’t. I’m just going to consider different ways to be active. Different ways to bring awareness to the issues of this country. To improve the issues happening in this country. I don’t think it will be in the form of protesting during the anthem. ... We’re going to take a different approach to how to be active." Reid was the "first teammate to kneel alongside Colin Kaepernick" in '16, and while he did not kneel during the 49ers’ first two preseason games last season, he reversed course after "racial unrest in Charlottesville" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/23). ESPN's Dan Graziano said of Reid, "There is a perception out there by some teams that he's closely aligned to Colin Kaepernick, who is suing the league. I don't think that's a 32-team perception, but I think there's probably enough of it out there that would slow his market down" ("Golic & Wingo," ESPN Radio, 3/23).
