Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is one of many active voices you'll find regarding the NFL's stance (and/or previous lack thereof) on social justice, and he spoke on the league's actions going forward back in June.
"Statements are good, but impact is better," Tomlin said.
It appears as though the NFL has taken Tomlin's advice, along with the suggestions of many other coaches, players and fans, by acting upon the initial statements it released. The latest news is that players will 'likely' be allowed to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the many other victims of police brutality through decals on their helmets, according to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
McCarthy adds that the NFL and the NFL Players Association is collaborating on a list of names from which the players will be able to select which tributes they'd like to use. Though the messages were previously thought to potentially appear on jersey patches, according to an initial report from Jason Reid of The Undefeated, McCarthy says that they "would likely only appear on helmets."
The NBA was the first major sports league to allow players to select social justice messages and wear them on the back of their jerseys in the league restart, but it's been met with mixed reviews. Several players, including reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and NBPA president Chris Paul, will wear one of the messages from the list, which includes choices such as "Black Lives Matter," "Equality," and "Say Their Names." None of the messages allowed from the list feature any of the specific police brutality victims, and some players, like NBPA vice president Jaylen Brown, have complained about the restrictive nature of the list. Others, while not complaining, have said that they'd prefer to wear their own name and make their own statement, like LeBron James.
Major League Baseball and the players union are also discussing how to go about incorporating social justice into the 60-game season, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
How will the eventual list of names/tributes allowed be received by NFL players? How restrictive will it be? Those questions will be important in determining the effectiveness of this campaign for social justice.
One thing is for sure, though, and is noted by McCarthy: the NFL hasn't done much to budge from their official jerseys and logos very often. For instance, wearing a pair of cleats that isn't allowed, be it in tribute to 9/11 or to raise awareness for police brutality, has resulted in hefty fines (or threats of them) and caused conflict between the players and the league. Under the NFL's uniform policy, there are separate offenses for personal messages on uniforms, unauthorized logo/branding on uniforms, and other uniform violations, all worth thousands of dollars.
But that policy could see change. It's a step in the right direction for the NFL, and Tomlin's aforementioned message about impact could once again be taking hold.
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