New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins criticized the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell for failing to address the way the NFL handled Colin Kaepernick and his kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality.
He added that the league was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
While the league has made efforts to address racial injustice by listening to players, donating money and creating the Inspire Change platform, the NFL has remained silent on Kaepernick, Jenkins said.
Kaepernick, then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem before games in 2016 after the police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling earlier that year.
Kaepernick, who has not played in the league since, has received renewed attention amid the George Floyd protests.