Report: Group of owners, players met in N.Y. to discuss protests
After a weekend in which nearly every NFL team demonstrated in some form either before or during the national anthem, a group of players and team owners met Tuesday in a boardroom at the league offices in New York to discuss what to do next, Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN report.
The confidential meeting included Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater of the New England Patriots, Chris Long of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason McCourty, Christian Kirksey, and Randall Telfer of the Cleveland Browns, Jonathan Casillas of the New York Giants, and Kelvin Beachum of the New York Jets. They were invited to attend by NFL VP of football operations Troy Vincent. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith learned of the meeting too late to change his plans in order to attend, forcing some players to drop out of the meeting.
Owners from the Patriots, Giants, Eagles, Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins joined them and sat among the players at the table.
Owners expressed concern with angry fan bases and disappointed sponsors, while players acknowledged many team owners in attendance publicly supported President Donald Trump before his recent criticisms of the NFL, which led to the league-wide protests.
For the owners, their primary concern was a battle with Trump could jeopardize the sport's popularity and divide fans.
"This could kill football and end our business," an owner said, according to the report.
In all, the discussion of how to proceed regarding the protests, owners, coaches, and executives know they cannot control how players choose to express themselves.
"For the first time, the owners are afraid of the players," Smith said after he was briefed on the meeting. "It has less to do with money and it has more to do with control. The owners are used to being in control - and they aren't on this. They know it. They hate it."
While the two sides didn't reach a consensus on how to approach the subject entering Week 4, they reached a new level of understanding.
"I think both sides got to walk away with an understanding of how each other felt," McCourty said.
The first game of the week, Thursday's contest between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, featured both teams standing for the anthem with their arms linked.
On Sunday, in the first game of the day in London, England, three members of the Miami Dolphins kneeled during the anthem. A large group of New Orleans Saints sat on the bench during the anthem in Week 3, but the team announced they would kneel before and then all stand during "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Week 4.