The NFL has been insistent on keeping the debate over player protests during the national anthem a focal point throughout the past two offseasons, with the league instituting a new policy that will punish players and teams for kneeling.
The league pushed the policy as a compromise, as it no longer requires players to take the field for the anthem and allows them to remain in the locker room if they so choose. However, the NFL continues to miss the point of the protests, which have from the beginning been an effort to raise awareness and create discussion about the still-significant racial bias faced by African-Americans in this country and, more specifically, the numerous instances of fatal police brutality.
Taking players off the field doesn’t fix anything and only serves to widen the divide over an issue that continues to stray further from the original intended message. Unsurprisingly, the NFL’s new policy was not well-liked by those around the league and the NFLPA has decided to file a grievance against the NFL.
The NFLPA announced on Tuesday it had filed a “non-injury grievance” against the league for the anthem policy, but hopes to sit down with the NFL and discuss an alternative solution prior to going to court.
Our union filed its non-injury grievance today on behalf of all players challenging the NFL’s recently imposed anthem policy. The union’s claim is that this new policy, imposed by the NFL’s governing body without consultation with the NFLPA, is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and infringes on player rights.
In advance of our filing today, we proposed to the NFL to begin confidential discussions with the NFLPA Executive Committee to find a solution to this issue instead of immediately proceeding with litigation. The NFL has agreed to proceed with those discussions and we look forward to starting them soon.
We’ll have to wait and see what comes of any discussion between the two sides and whether they can reach an agreement that keeps this issue from going to the courts.
