Eagles players Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long released statements earlier Wednesday, strongly criticizing the NFL’s new national anthem policy.
Jenkins said owners thwarted “the players’ constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country.”
Long accused owners of reacting to a “fear of a diminished bottom line,” and a “fear of a president turning his base against a corporation.” He called the new policy a fail, saying, “I’m someone who’s always looked at the anthem as a declaration of ideals, including the right of peaceful protest. Our league continues to fall short on this issue.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement he was proud of his players for “working to influence positive change.” But he didn’t go as far as 49ers owner Jed York, who abstained in the vote, or Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who declared that his team would not punish players for kneeling.
“I have always believed it is the responsibility of sports teams to be very proactive in our communities,” Lurie said. “In this great country of ours, there are so many people who are hurting and marginalized, which is why I am proud of our players for continuously working to influence positive change. Their words and actions have demonstrated not only that they have a great deal of respect for our country, but also that they are committed to finding productive ways to fight social injustice, poverty and other societal issues that are important to all of us. We must continue to work together in creative and dynamic ways to make our communities stronger and better with equal opportunities for all.”