NFL, NFLPA Release Statement About Jacob Blake Shooting: 'We Share Anger and Frustration'
The NFL and NFL Players' Association released a joint statement Thursday regarding the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., saying that both parties share their emotions of anger and frustration while working together to bring about positive change.
"While our passions continue to run high, we are proud that our players and clubs, League and Union, are taking time to have the difficult conversations about these issues that affect the Black community and other communities of color in America," the statement reads. "We are especially encouraged that these conversations are about how we can come together to make the necessary and long overdue changes in our country.
"We will continue to not only use our collective platform to call out racism and injustice whenever and wherever it occurs in our country, but also fight together to eradicate it.”
NFL players have already begun taking action in response to the latest police shooting of an unarmed Black person, as several teams have stopped practicing. Most teams put out statements addressing the decision to cancel practices, with many using the time to "discuss and work toward making a lasting social impact and inspiring change in our communities," as the Colts' statement read.
The statement from the league and players' association comes a day after games were postponed by player protests in the NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS. The first team to act was the Milwaukee Bucks, who refused to take the court for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. That led the NBA to postpone the other two games scheduled for Wednesday. It's unclear if any NFL games will be impacted, as the regular season is set to begin on Thursday, Sept. 10.