Texans owner compared player protests to 'inmates running the prison'

The NFL and its players continue to try to find a compromise regarding protests during the national anthem and how best to approach social justice reform, but a recent comment from Houston Texans owner Bob McNair is unlikely to improve relations.

McNair said "we can't have the inmates running the prison" in reference to NFL players protests during an owners session at the recent league meeting, according to ESPN's Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr., who detailed the inner workings of the meetings, which also involved talks with players, in a story published Friday.

The owner's words reportedly "stunned some in the room." McNair's comments followed a speech from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who argued the NFL must do something to combat the effect protests are having on the league's business.

McNair released a statement later Friday, saying he didn't mean the words "literally" and that the comment wasn't actually a reference to the players.

The NFL's executive VP of football operations, Troy Vincent, took issue with McNair's comparison during the meeting, saying he never felt like an "inmate" at any point during his 16-year career.

McNair later apologized to Vincent, which the executive appreciated, added Wickersham and Van Natta Jr.