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Eagles coach Doug Pederson has never been one to shy away from the issue of social justice, and he expressed his support for the Lions' decision.
"I think it's a great sign of unity," said Pederson. "A sign of strength and support as a team, obviously, in these tragic situations. Our team continues conversation and dialogue. That's something that we're going to continue to do.”
That dialogue has always been present in Pederson's locker room.
The head coach has always encouraged his players to speak out and has also shown a willingness to learn from what he is told.
Pederson made it clear the dialogue will continue with his players as they deal with the current national climate.
"It's just where we are as a country," Pederson said. "You've got to put football aside. This is human life, and this is about all our lives, and these guys have a message, they have a platform. They have something that needs to be said, and so I'm here, obviously, to listen, to listen to their ideas and their comments and the things that they're dealing with every single day."
In addition to social justice, the topic of COVID-19 won't be going away anytime soon.
The NFL had a scare when a host of player tests, which initially came back as positive, later proved to be false.
Pederson understands the subject of false-positive tests is another issue teams will have to deal with throughout the season.
“It's where we are," said Pederson. "It's what we're in, as we've mentioned before, we continue to prepare for those situations. Can't control it."
The Eagles can control their actions when it comes to staying safe during the pandemic.
Despite positive tests for Pederson and Lane Johnson at the start of training camp, the Eagles have continued to function with strict protocols in place.
Even with two positive tests and the league dealing with the issue of false-positives, Pederson is pleased with how the testing system has worked for the NFL.
"This is why we have the protocols in place and the protocols have been working," Pederson said.