Dolphins coach Brian Flores, the first coach to speak out about the murder of George Floyd with a written statement, met with reporters via videoconference on Thursday. Flores was asked about an important related topic: Kneeling during the national anthem to bring more attention to the problem of police brutality against African-Americans and persons of color.
“For me the spotlight needs to be on George Floyd, justice for George Floyd,” Flores said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “Condolences for his family. We’re in agreement. It’s not often that everyone is in agreement on a topic.”
Flores added that he supports the ability of players to participate in the ongoing protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd.
“They have a right to protest and I support their right to protest,” Flores said. “Even more than that, it’s about being careful. I want my players [to] be careful.”
As the protests continue away from the field, it remains to be seen whether the protests will linger into September -- and whether players and others will exercise their right to protest during the anthem. If games were played this weekend, the kneeling would be inevitable and widespread. Three months from now, things could be better.
Of course, they also could be worse. Or possibly unchanged. Absent real steps toward change by Labor Day, the anthem protests of 2016-17 seem destined to return to the forefront for the NFL. And that likely won’t be a topic on which everyone will be in agreement, even though it should be.