Vikings linebackers Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr ripped the NFL in a series of tweets on Tuesday criticizing the league for their stance on the issue of social justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the NFL said that it would use its platform “in communities and as part of the fabric of American society” and “address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs, and partners.”
— NFL (@NFL) May 30, 2020
On Tuesday, the Viking linebackers issued their response, sending out a string of four tweets saying the NFL has said nothing to address the problem and needs to do more.
.@NFL what actual steps are you taking to support the fight for justice and system reform?
Your statement said nothing. Your league is built on black athletes. Vague answers do nothing. Let the players know what you’re ACTUALLY doing.
And we know what silence means. pic.twitter.com/EOqzDjW1an
— Eric Kendricks (@erickendricks6) June 2, 2020
Kendricks and Barr, who serve on the team’s social justice committee, also revealed that they’re working on addressing the issue as a team while also taking suggestions from fans.
But they still want more answers on what the NFL itself is doing to tackle systemic racism in the wake of Floyd’s death.
But we want answers at the league level. That’s where change can happen, and we’ve seen none. Because right now, it seems like nothing. And nothing is unacceptable.
— Eric Kendricks (@erickendricks6) June 2, 2020
You can’t bring in people to teach us how we should interact with police but not work towards changing the behavior of the police themselves.
Silence will not make this go away. @NFL #WeWantAnswers #BlackLivesMatter
— Eric Kendricks (@erickendricks6) June 2, 2020
As for the Vikings’ efforts, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported that Kyle Rudolph and a handful of other players are organizing a team food drive next week to help those affected by the riots that damaged or destroyed dozens of businesses, including grocery stores, in the Twin Cities.
