Dan Quinn Says He Will Support Players in Protests, Kneeling or Not

During a media conference call Monday, Dan Quinn said he will support his players in any way they choose to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

Dan Quinn is trying to do his part.

While also juggling an unusual offseason because of the coronavirus, the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach has talked about and condemned racial inequality and police brutality several times over the past month.

Quinn spoke again Monday and said he will back his players in any way they choose to protest.

“If and when the players choose to protest, and in whatever way they choose, then hell yeah, I will support them,” Quinn said. “And I’ll be with them in whatever they choose to do.”

Quinn participated in a peaceful protest against racial inequality and police brutality last week in Atlanta.

WHAT HE SAID

“I realize, when we leave the locker room, we have different experiences,” he said of the difference between him and many of his players. “And I hate that.

“Quite often, you get asked, ‘OK, what can I do?’ My answer to that, to anybody, would be, ‘In the United States, we have almost 350 million people, so what can you do? Affect the room you’re in.’ That could be your house. That could be your locker room. Whether I was a high school student, a college student, an NFL player, ‘affect the room that you’re in,’ to me, is our way of creating change, because it’s not good enough where we’re at. It’s not even close. So we have a lot of work to do. It’s not going to be solved in one day, or one week or even one season.

“We’re ready to take on a long challenge.”

WHAT THE FALCONS ARE DOING

Many of Quinn’s fellow Falcons have taken on that challenge.

General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, Ricardo Allen, LaRoy Reynolds and some assistant coaches marched with Quinn last week. Matt Ryan started a GoFundMe page, which now holds more than $1.2 million that will help the black community in Atlanta. Owner Arthur Blank released a statement denouncing racism.

“You can’t do everything (yourself),” Quinn said, “but that’s no reason to do nothing.”

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