Week 9: Guide To NFL Players Who Protested During National Anthem
By far, the biggest development of the past week was Papa John’s Pizza blaming black National Football League players, who are protesting police brutality and racism, for a bad quarter of sales.
CEO John Schnatter’s so-so pizza business had a disappointing quarter before this one. Nevertheless, Schnatter attempted to heap pressure on the NFL to end the protests.
It went according to plan until Pizza Hut owner, Yum Brands, indicated with its earnings report that sales of their pizza were doing just fine. Live sports, including the NFL, were a critical part of making profits and remained important.
Papa John’s also had to demand that neo-Nazis not buy their pizza after the Daily Stormer called the business the official pizza chain of the alt-right.
Companies have apparently threatened to pull advertising if NBC Universal does not stop airing or covering the national anthem protests.
Whether the protests have affected NFL ratings is a subject of intense debate, with just as much evidence that they’ve had a minimal amount of impact. NFL games had a declining number of viewers before this year’s protests kicked off.
In other news, the Houston Texans look like they could use a quarterback, since rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury. It has crippled the team. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the taking the knee protest in 2016, still would like to play in the NFL. Yet, despite chatter about Texans considering him, coach Bill O’Brien brushed such conversation aside.
Kaepernick has been essentially blackballed from playing in the league. He filed a “grievance” against the NFL alleging collusion among owners to prevent him from playing another game.
Interestingly, Bob McNair, the Texans owner who suggested the protests had to end because the inmates cannot be allowed to run the prison, faces an upcoming deposition.
Below is a guide to all the individual NFL players who took action in Week 9:
Arizona Cardinals
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Atlanta Falcons
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Baltimore Ravens
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Buffalo Bills
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Carolina Panthers
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears had a bye week.
Cincinnati Bengals
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns had a bye week.
Dallas Cowboys
Players Who Took A Knee: Owner Jerry Jones does not tolerate any players taking a knee on his team. However, defensive tackle David Irving raised his fist at the end of the anthem again.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Denver Broncos
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Detroit Lions
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported, but running back Ameer Abdullah, who protested along with other Lions players earlier in the season, raised his fist for the first time.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Green Bay Packers
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Houston Texans
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Indianapolis Colts
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Kansas City Chiefs
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported, but cornerback Marcus Peters came out of the tunnel after the anthem for a second consecutive week.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Los Angeles Chargers
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported, but for the third week in a row, left tackle Russell Okung raised a fist while standing.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams had a bye week.
Miami Dolphins
Players Who Took A Knee: Wide receiver Kenny Stills, tight end Julius Thomas, and defensive back Michael Thomas took a knee. This was significant because coach Adam Gase and the team’s owner, Steve Ross, had prohibited them from kneeling so they were staying in the tunnel or locker room until the anthem was over. The players complained, and Gase backed off the rule.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings had a bye week.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots had a bye week.
New Orleans Saints
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported, but before the anthem, many Saints players briefly took a knee to show they have unity and then stood up. This has been how management shows protests will not divide the team.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
New York Giants
Players Who Took A Knee: Olivier Vernon, a defensive end who is still out with an injury, knelt during the anthem.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
New York Jets
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Oakland Raiders
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported, but running back Marshawn Lynch remained seated during the anthem.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Philadelphia Eagles
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported, but safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod held their right fists up in the air during the anthem. Defensive end Chris Long once again had his arm on Jenkins as a show of solidarity. They have done this for several weeks. (Jenkins has protested since Week 2 of last season.)
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
San Francisco 49ers
Players Who Took A Knee: Safety Eric Reid, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, and linebacker Eli Harold took a knee.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Seattle Seahawks
Players Who Took A Knee: Left tackle Duane Brown, who recently joined the team, took a knee.
Players Who Sat: As with previous games, defensive ends Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Branden Jackson, and Quinton Jefferson, defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Sheldon Richardson, and linebacker Marcus Smith remained seated.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Tennessee Titans
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported, but wide receiver Rishard Matthews stayed off the field until after the anthem, as he has done in previous games. This time, Jurrell Casey and Wesley Woodyard raised fists.
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
Washington Redskins
Players Who Took A Knee: None reported
Players Who Sat: None reported.
Players Who Locked Arms: None reported.
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