Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett believes that national anthem protests would benefit from the involvement of white players. There’s another group of players that would benefit the effort even more.
Franchise quarterbacks.
Regardless of race, the decision of the best of the best players at the most important position on the field are the ones who can give the effort to bring awareness to matters of racial injustice, police brutality, and other similar causes that are motivating players to not stand for the anthem. From Russell Wilson to Aaron Rodgers to Cam Newton to Tom Brady to Eli Manning to Ben Roethlisberger to Drew Brees to any other players with maximum profile (and job security), these are the players that could make the protests more mainstream and, in turn, perhaps get those who refuse to understand the reasons for the protests to have a slightly more open mind.
Or maybe it ultimately won’t matter. Regardless, Bennett has the right idea but landed in the wrong spot. It’s not about having white players behind the effort; it’s about having the biggest and brightest stars on board. And in the NFL there are no stars bigger or brighter than franchise quarterbacks.