NFL, NFLPA focus on how to promote social change

The NFL and the league’s Players Association issued a joint statement Tuesday afternoon after their meeting earlier in the day to discuss the ongoing national anthem protests at the league offices in New York.

Among the 29 listed attendees were 13 current and former NFL players, 11 owners, three NFLPA representatives and two league officials, including commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

“Today owners and players had a productive meeting focused on how we can work together to promote positive social change and address inequality in our communities,” the statement read. “NFL executives and owners joined NFLPA executives and player leaders to review and discuss plans to utilize our platform to promote equality and effectuate positive change. We agreed that these are common issues and pledged to meet again to continue this work together.

“As we said last week, everyone who is part of our NFL community has a tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military. In the best American tradition, we are coming together to find common ground and commit to the hard work required for positive change.”

The NFL and NFLPA also met to discuss the issue on two previous occasions this season.

Protests around the NFL have garnered national headlines over the past two seasons as a number of players have knelt during the anthem to protest various causes.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first player to kneel during the anthem in protest of mistreatment of minorities in the United States.

Other players have subsequently knelt in protest of President Donald Trump’s ongoing commentary that players who kneel during the anthem should be fired.

Notable NFL owners present at Tuesday’s meeting included New York Giants owner John Mara, New England’s Robert Kraft, Atlanta’s Arthur Blank and Pittsburgh’s Art Rooney II, among others.

Former wide receiver Anquan Boldin represented the league’s legends at the meeting while current players such as Washington’s Josh Norman, San Francisco’s Eric Reid, Philadelphia’s Chris Long and Miami’s Julius Thomas attended.

Reid, who is still with the 49ers, was among the first to kneel alongside Kaepernick while the latter was still under contract with the club in 2016.

On Sunday, Kaepernick announced he was filing a collusion grievance against the NFL after he has remained unsigned.

Other active players at the meeting were Indianapolis’ Darius Butler, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Russell Okung, Miami’s Kenny Stills and Michael Thomas, the Giants’ Mark Herzlich, the New York Jets’ Kelvin Beachum and Demario Davis, and Philadelphia’s Malcolm Jenkins.