As the NFL grew in popularity throughout the 1960s, the league made an effort to align itself with the patriotic ideals of the country. More than any other sport, football in America has come to have a strong relationship with the military. In 1968, the first organized military flyover took place at the super bowl, and, before long, other staples of the military became common at many NFL events (7). This focus by the league politicized it and has recently become a topic of great debate by players and fans in America. 

 

The player who is most attributed to bringing the topic of social justice to the forefront of the league is Colin Kaepernick. In 2016, he began kneeling during the National Anthem after formulating a respectful way of protest with a former NFL player and military member. In doing so, Kaepernick hoped to bring attention to issues of police brutality towards black individuals in America and hoped that his actions could help lead to positive change. 

 

During this time the league and many of its programs were issuing statements that said that players had the option to express themselves how they feel, but that standing during the National Anthem was encouraged and was what they saw as the right thing to do. During the remainder of the season, more players started to join Kaepernick in kneeling for the cause. However, Kaepernick opted out of his contract at the end of the season and was not picked up by any team, making it clear that he had been blacklisted in the league. 

 

After years of continuing to fail to acknowledge this cause, it was finally brought to the forefront of the league following the death of George Floyd and the growth of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Players gathered together as a united front to call out the league and demand redress for their lack of support. Commissioner Goodell responded by apologizing for their lack of effort in the past and pledged that black lives truly mattered to the league (8). 

In addition, the league began stenciling anti-racist messages into the end zones, playing the black National Anthem at games, and honoring victims of police brutality (9). However, to many, these actions did not mean much. With its troubled history, merely doing the bare minimum now did not feel sincere. While some teams are doing more than others and players can now kneel for the National Anthem without fear of retribution, it is certainly not enough.