On Friday afternoon, without consulting with the owners, Roger Goodell put the NFL squarely on the side of its militant players in the battle against improper policing specifically and systemic racial injustice in general.  The NFL, said Goodell, had been wrong not to listen to its players and accept what they were saying.  Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post:

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell condemned racism, admitted a mistake in judgement and ultimately showed he is willing to listen to the players.

One day after the NFL Players Association united some of its biggest stars for a wish list of things they wanted to hear from the league amidst nationwide protests of George Floyd’s murder and other police-involved deaths, Goodell delivered nearly word-for-word on the request in a video released Friday night to social media.

“We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people,” Goodell said from his home. “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”

It might not be perfect — the players asked for an admission of wrong in “silencing our players from peacefully protesting” — but it is a big step from the years of the league not giving an inch after Colin Kaepernick and others began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest social injustice.

@NFL

We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange

The NFL’s first attempt at a response — a written statement last weekend — was deemed by players to fall far short of the mark. For starters, it referred to “tragic events” and “current events” but not the root of the issue.

This time, Goodell struck a more specific chord.

“It has been a difficult time for our country, in particular black people in our country,” Goodell said. “First, my condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all the families who have endured police brutality.”

Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin was fired and charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after he kneeled on Floyd’s neck and ignored pleas to stop.

The Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes were two of the most prominently displayed voices in the powerful video scripted by the NFLPA. Neither Barkley nor Mahomes was in the NFL when Kaepernick protested and all players essentially faced a weekly decision of whether to join or sit out the protest. Same goes for many other rising stars.

About 70 percent of NFL players are black, according to a 2018 study by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.

“We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter,” Goodell said. “I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country. Without black players, there would be no National Football League. And the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff.”

Next comes action.

Will players be criticized for or deterred from kneeling and/or raising a fist during the anthem? It has been a lightning-rod issue within the NFL — interpreted by some as not supporting the flag and the lives lost during wartime.

“We are listening. I am listening,” Goodell said. “And I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve and go forward for a better and more united NFL family.”

Goodell statement came in informal garb on a grainy video from his Westchester home.

Apparently, he was convinced it was necessary by members of the NFL’s New York-based messaging staff.

It started when an NFL employee, a video producer named Bryndon Minter, worked with the NFLPA on Thursday to craft a demand from the players for action.  In his own words, he went “rogue” and the NFL quickly fell in line.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

I decided, ‘Hey, I’m just going to go rogue here. If I can get one player to buy in, we’ll take a chance at this and see what can happen,’” video producer Bryndon Minter told Jordan Rodrigue and Lindsay Jones of TheAthletic.com, a decision Minter made after deciding that the NFL wasn’t doing enough in response to the murder of George Floyd.

Minter understood the potential consequences.

“I was at peace the whole time,” Minter told TheAthletic.com regarding the possibility of getting fired for it. “I think if I wasn’t at peace to lose my job, I wouldn’t have wanted to go out on a limb like that. . . . I was at peace, I still am at peace.”

Minter’s frustration grew throughout the week, following the issuance of an NFL statement that was widely criticized for stating nothing and an understanding in league circles that management-level employees with the league planned to continue to simply post game highlights on social media, even as protests grew and grew.

“It was incredibly inappropriate,” Minter told TheAthletic.com. “As of Monday night, people thought that was a good move. And that pissed me off so much. . . . When the league, and company we work for, doesn’t simply come out and condemn racism — as simple as that — people start to morally have issues with that.”

Minter recruited Saints receiver Michael Thomas on Wednesday night, reaching him via Instagram. Thomas accepted quickly, suggesting that they persuade “top guys in the league” to contribute. Thomas contacted star players, he got them involved, and they began sending in videos of themselves reading a script drafted by Thomas, Minter, and another NFL employee.

And so Minter took the various videos, edited them into a single 70-second clip, informed a member of management at the NFL that it was coming, and pressed the button.

So what will happen to Minter now?

“We’re proud of him, and his work,” NFL Brian McCarthy told TheAthletic.com.

We all should be proud of the courage that Minter showed, along with the ingenuity and initiative. Michael Thomas deserves credit, too, for recognizing immediately the potential twimpact of the video, for lining up so many of his peers to participate, and for basically (as TheAthletic.com used the term) serving as executive producer for the project.

Having put pressure on his bosses to bend to the player’s will, Minter crafted the response, along with woke allies on the NFL office staff.  Mark Maske of the WashingtonPost:

The first signs that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would speak came Friday morning. He started telling staffers that he felt he needed to say more, and he was driven by a range of factors, those familiar with the day’s events said.

There was the video that superstar players made with the assistance of an NFL content producer, urging Goodell to admit past wrongs and say, “Black Lives Matter.” There were messages from league employees, including one who described a feeling of “helplessness.” There were his own history and his own internal views, which he had to balance against the potential wishes of the team owners he works for.

By Friday evening, the NFL had released an 81-second video of Goodell, in the basement of his home in Bronxville, N.Y., that served as another marker of the shift in how mainstream America discusses race, policing and systemic oppression. Goodell acted with little input from the owners as he said the league was wrong for not listening to its players earlier and now encourages them to speak out and peacefully protest racial injustice and police mistreatment of African Americans.

The lack of involvement by the owners was described Saturday by several people familiar with the events leading up to Goodell’s statement. It marked a stunning change from the NFL’s approach in 2017 when it dealt with the debate, intensified by President Trump, over players protesting during the national anthem before games.

This time, amid nationwide and worldwide outrage over the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Goodell opted to carve out a position that is strongly supportive of the players and at odds with Trump, who has called protests by NFL players during the anthem unpatriotic. One person familiar with the NFL’s inner workings said Saturday that, while owners were taken off guard by Goodell’s remarks, most will be supportive, with some possible — and notable — exceptions.

“I was a little surprised by it,” the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. “But I think it was well done. I think it sent the right message. … It’s not going to be unanimous, but I think most owners will support it.”

Many others showed support for Goodell. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, one of the organizers of the players’ video released Thursday, wrote, “Well said Roger,” on Twitter with an emoji of a black fist. Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, who also appeared in the players’ video, said “I agree” when replying to a message declaring Goodell’s statement his finest moment as commissioner.

But many criticized Goodell, particularly for not naming Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who protested police brutality by kneeling during the anthem in 2016 and has not played since that season ended. Sociologist Harry Edwards, a consultant for the 49ers who has advised Goodell on social issues and views him as a friend, did not counsel Goodell on his speech. Edwards said he would have told Goodell not to make it as crafted. He felt the sentiment came two years late and that not mentioning Kaepernick by name or taking blame was wrong.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Edwards said. “If you’re sitting on top of an organization which has three black coaches, two black GMs and Colin Kaepernick hanging over the entire NFL organization like a shroud, you can’t stand up and say, ‘Oh, okay, we get it.’ It’s too late for that. You got to say, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do.’ And this includes letting it be known Kaepernick will be on a roster at the beginning of the season — period.”

The reaction of some powerful figures in the league remains unknown. Some insiders wonder how Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a member of the league’s old guard who has said his players must stand for the anthem, would respond. The Cowboys did not respond Saturday to a request for comment.

The league and owners realize there could be opposition from fans with views similar to Trump’s, according to the person familiar with the NFL’s inner workings.

“That could lead to an issue between Roger and Jerry,” the person said. “It makes it very difficult for an owner to go in another direction. We’ll face a backlash, no doubt, from a certain percentage of our fans.”

The timing, then, reflected the shifting societal terrain the NFL finds itself on. In 2017, the league scrambled in response to player protests after Trump insisted those players should be fired and referred to any player who kneels during the anthem as a “son of a bitch.” Its ratings dropped and polls indicated player protests, inflamed by Trump’s response, played a role.

Pointing to recent admonishments of Trump by former military officials and other public figures, Edwards saw Trump in a weaker position compared with 2017. Many institutions, Edwards theorized, may be less fearful of pushing back and potentially angering his voter base.

“The NFL and other interests who have been at least pliable in terms of trying to meet Trump’s expectations are going to get to the place where they’ll simply say: ‘You know what? We don’t have to do this anymore,’ ” Edwards said.

One Goodell associate said he was “amazed” by the video. He added: “Trump is in a different place now. I don’t think the NFL is afraid of taking him on this time.”

Another person with knowledge of the league’s planning on the matter said Goodell gave a heads-up to a few owners before the video was released and those owners “were supportive.” The league also alerted the NFL Players Association, said that person, who added of Goodell and the video, “It reflected his thinking for a long time.”

One person familiar with the NFL’s social justice initiatives said, in observing Goodell over the past year, he has seen a change in the commissioner’s willingness to share his personal outlook. Goodell has privately lobbied for teams to give Kaepernick chances since he parted with the 49ers after the 2016 season. The NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, pushed by Goodell, ran a PSA against police brutality during the Super Bowl.

“Roger’s an eminently decent man,” Edwards said. “He’s a good guy. He has a good heart. He has a fairly valid perspective on most things. But in most instances … he’s caught between the reality that he knows and understands and the perspectives and desires and agendas of the owners at whose sufferance he serves. As he gets closer to the end of his tenure, will he do something that is more in line with his understanding of the realities as opposed to his obligations to the owners and their agendas?”

In public, Goodell has backed the owners’ ability to decide on personnel matters, offered no pushback to Kaepernick’s exile and presided over a policy, since changed, that allowed teams to punish players for protesting. The person saw Goodell’s video Friday as a sign he is more interested in expressing his own views rather than projecting or shielding the owners’.

 “That video is not made if he doesn’t feel a certain way,” the person said. “There’s no way.”

Another video helped prompt Goodell’s. This past week, without asking his bosses, an NFL social media staffer based in Los Angeles named Bryndon Minter sent a message to Thomas, asking whether he would help create a video to share players’ voices. Minter had sensed bubbling frustration among colleagues about how the league approached issues of race. He credited black members of his team Gerverus Flagg, Maurice Jennings and Jarick Walker, among others, for helping him reach his stance.

“It’s been simmering for a while,” Minter told The Washington Post in a phone interview Saturday. “It finally came to a head with the current state of the world.”

Thomas took the lead, reaching out to players and collecting videos. Superstar quarterbacks typically shy away from social issues, but one of the first players who agreed was the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Thomas sent clips to Minter, and they discussed how it would be presented.

“For Mike to have the presence of mind to media-manage 100 pieces of video, talk to me directly about the creative direction all while simultaneously handling the Drew Brees situation, it was unbelievable for Mike,” Minter said.

Michael Thomas

@Cantguardmike

“A message on behalf of the nfl”

Minter said he has not received blowback for the video, which was posted Thursday and has been viewed millions of times. Goodell found the video powerful, according to a person familiar with his thinking, and expressed a desire to use it as a template for future content.

League staffers — still working from their homes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic — met remotely Friday. Goodell made some calls and spoke to some players, among others. Beginning at 1 p.m., he participated in an internal town hall Zoom meeting, hosted by NFL Network employees, called “A Discussion on Race & Injustice.”

Goodell, the son of former U.S. Sen. Charles Goodell, told staffers during the town hall about growing up in the District in 1968 and walking around the streets during that time of unrest. He told the NFL employees that the events of today brought that back to him vividly.

He also became emotional when relating that he had received an email from an employee who used the word “hopelessness.” He said that struck him on a personal level, but he was also inspired that an employee would take the time to reach out. He said the league and its employees could rally around this and do something.

The town hall ended around 2:45 p.m. Goodell made a few more calls, then taped the video from his home starting around 3. The video was reviewed around 4:15, then was sent to employees at 6:26 and released to the media at 6:33.

As might be expected, the reaction to Goodell’s video from the media has been overwhelmingly positive, with the only quibble being that the name “Kaepernick” did not escape his lips.  More from Maske:

Some, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, questioned why Goodell did not mention Kaepernick by name. He began the player protest movement but has not played in the NFL over the past three seasons and reached a settlement of his collusion grievance against the league and owners.

Goodell and the league attempted to arrange a workout for Kaepernick last year at the Atlanta Falcons’ training facility. The event unraveled as league officials and Kaepernick’s representatives were unable to agree on the details; Kaepernick instead worked out for a smaller number of teams at an area high school.

The chances of Kaepernick being signed by a team perhaps have increased after recent events. His representatives did not respond Saturday to requests for comment. Still, the league is unlikely to make another push, to the extent of last year’s, to facilitate him being signed, according to a person close to the NFL’s deliberations.

“I don’t think so,” the person said. “I think it’s in the hands of the teams and Kaepernick and his camp.”

Kaepernick’s lengthy absence from the game could hurt his chances to be signed. But the person familiar with the league’s social justice initiatives said he believes teams will be interested in Kaepernick, 32, and his prospects would be aided by the shift in public sentiment. Two days after Brees, the Saints’ quarterback, said he would never agree with anyone “disrespecting the flag” by kneeling during the national anthem, he wrote an open letter to Trump explaining that the protests are not about the military.

“What will be gone now — and what is helpful — is the stigma of bringing [Kaepernick] back,” the person said. “Now I think people really do understand it was never about the armed services.”

Some media reaction.

This tweet from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com who is in the process of a flanking movement to the left around Peter King to be the conscience of the NFL:

@ProFootballTalk

This is @nflcommish finest moment.

This from King, who promises vigilance:

I think these words from Malcolm Jenkins—”We must not make the grave mistake of allowing the world to fall back asleep”—are apt one to end this historical week.

Jason Reid of ESPN’s The Undefeated outlines the path that Goodell must now take to continue the NFL’s shift.

Backed into a corner and having only one viable option, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell chose wisely.

In a remarkable video response Friday to what even some pushing for change within the game considered to be an ambitious, to say the least, series of requests by more than a dozen star players – including Pro Bowl quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson – the man who leads professional sports’ most powerful and influential organization went all-in. Goodell admitted the league has erred in how it handled peaceful NFL player protests of police brutality and systemic oppression, condemned racism and affirmed that black lives matter, pledging his allegiance to the players in the battle for equal justice under the law.

Goodell took a much stronger position than what was conveyed recently in the tepid statement attributed to him after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by police. And Goodell’s acknowledgement of the fundamental importance of black players (about 70% of the league’s players are black) to the success of the NFL further signaled that a major shift literally occurred overnight in a game in which substantive change usually happens at a glacial pace.

“We’ve seen tectonic things happening for several days and many have been astounding,” said N. Jeremi Duru, a professor of sports law at American University, alluding to the unfamiliar feeling of change in the air regarding race relations and policing amid the civil unrest over Floyd’s death.

“I’m not surprised with what Roger did. I’ve spent time in rooms with him. I believe that he is truly committed to equal opportunity. But he has now stuck his flag in the ground. He is going to be judged by the way that he follows up on what he said.”

Which, as always, is the hard part.

Once the players’ video dropped, Goodell was on the clock. With both Watson and Mahomes attached to the project, ignoring the players’ move was not on the table, several black league executives and coaches told The Undefeated.

Franchise quarterbacks run the NFL. Watson is in that group. Mahomes occupies a club of one. The youngest player to have a Super Bowl championship, league MVP award and a Super Bowl MVP award, Mahomes is now the face of the game – and he wields all the clout that comes along with the crown.

When the quarterback who’s standing atop the mountain looks into the camera and declares, “black lives matter,” well, it suddenly became time for Goodell to explain the realities of navigating the new world to his billionaire bosses. No longer could the NFL offer its considerable social justice efforts alone as proof it fully backs the overwhelming majority of its on-field workforce.

“The NFL was trying to put a bandage on a bullet wound,” said University of Southern California professor Todd Boyd, who teaches race and popular culture. “They’ve tried to manage it [protests and issues important to black players] as opposed to actually engage in it, which, to me, is different.

“What the players are talking about … it’s not something that can be managed. We’ve seen what has happened in the streets the last week. You can’t manage that. You have to be totally engaged. You have to be totally invested.”

For Goodell to say that black lives matter is a radical departure from where the league had remained entrenched since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat and then kneeled during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to draw attention to police brutality and systemic oppression in 2016 (more on him later). And make no mistake, the NFL will likely pay a price for finally becoming woke.

The lack of empathy owners and league officials exhibited in dealing with the protest movement was born out of fear about their bottom line. They wanted it to end quickly, hoping to allay the concerns of many of their fans and jittery corporate partners, who erroneously conflated the protests with disrespecting the U.S. flag.

Despite the reckoning unfolding on race nationally, a large group of the NFL’s white supporters, who were vocal in their opposition to the anthem protests, likely won’t take kindly to the league’s new stance. Count on Goodell also having to smooth things over with companies in business with the league.

Also keep a close eye on whether the league’s new “black is beautiful” mantra also extends to its hiring decisions. Throughout the 100-year history of the league, NFL owners have turned their backs on qualified candidates of color while filling management positions. That’s why the NFL will begin the season with only three black head coaches and one Latino head coach and two black general managers (the league has never had a black team president).

The problem is such a stain on the league, Goodell recently pushed through the most aggressive hiring initiatives in league history and actually wanted to go further. During the next hiring cycle, with the league’s new commitment to black people, will Goodell lean heavily on clubs to reward deserving executives and coaches passed over repeatedly for the wrong reason? Or will owners, who clearly were both informed of and backed Goodell’s decision, even need to be pushed?

Without a doubt, the commissioner has some heavy lifting ahead.

The alternative, however, was for Goodell to crack down on the players, saying the video was not consistent with the NFL’s mission and affirming he doesn’t support the players’ agenda. That obviously wouldn’t have gone over spectacularly and would have added an accelerant to a growing fire.

There are a number of issues – the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment stemming from the health crises and inequality in the justice system – disproportionately affecting black people that could inspire players to protest during the season. The league essentially declaring war on some of the game’s biggest black stars would have been another significant item on the list.

“We are in the eye of the storm. The first part of the storm,” said Princeton University professor Eddie Glaude Jr., who teaches religion and African American studies. “It’s calm in the eye of the storm. You get to go out and assess the damage. But then there’s the back end. We haven’t experienced the back end and what it’s going to do to us.

“The back end is going to be the effects of all protests with regard to [potentially spreading] the coronavirus. We haven’t experienced, just yet, the full impact of massive [black] unemployment. And then we’ve got the trial of the police officers with regard to the murder of George Floyd. There are many things that could [lead to players choosing to protest].”

After the NFL mishandled the revision of its anthem policy, the league and the NFL Players Association agreed to continue to permit players to peacefully demonstrate. The protest movement fizzled after the owners and the Players Coalition, the main group that negotiated with the NFL on behalf of protesting players, entered into an agreement to fund social justice causes.

There wasn’t an explicit quid pro quo, but the expectation from owners was that players would no longer have the desire to protest if the sides were working together. There was always an underlying flaw, though, in the owners’ thinking: Regardless of the social justice deal, another tragedy involving police could inspire players to protest en masse again. In their video, the players strongly indicated they intend to use their voices. Goodell needed to get ahead of that train.

Thus, his many critics say, there’s nothing Goodell should ever be able to say or do to engender trust from the NFL’s black players, because he’s complicit in the owners’ decision to end Kaepernick’s career. Although Kaepernick wasn’t mentioned in Goodell’s video, Kaepernick ignited the movement and paid the biggest price of any protester. That’s just fact.

After Kaepernick settled his collusion grievance with the league, it was highly doubtful he would ever again be on an NFL roster. Following his league office-arranged tryout in November, which resulted in acrimony and finger-pointing, the door was slammed, nailed shut and hermetically sealed.

But for those who doubt Goodell’s sincerity, others say give him a chance to prove it.

“I was struck by the depth of the commissioner’s statement,” executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance Rod Graves wrote in a text to The Undefeated. Graves leads the independent group that advises the NFL on diversity matters.

Peter King collected a wide range of reaction here.  This is typical.

This is normally the last week or two before players and coaches and staff think of going somewhere, anywhere, to get far away from football, to vacation before training camp. Nothing normal about these days, though. The other day, when Patriot defensive backs and twins Devin and Jason McCourty sat down to record their podcast, “There was no way we could talk football,” Devin McCourty said. “You couldn’t even talk the pandemic. Everything was about equality, about George Floyd, about the protests. It was overwhelming.”

Team meetings via Zoom, overtaken league-wide by listening sessions—black players and coaches took the floor, for days on several teams, and the air got very heavy with stories of American inequities from black players. “If you’re not with us, you’re against us,” Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is black, said to his mates. Some high-profile players angry with the NFL for issuing only a tepid statement on the explosive death of Floyd put out a PSA. “How many times do we need to ask you to listen to your players?” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. Club facilities were opened to coaching staffs on Friday after 13 weeks of coronavirus-enforced absence, but it was almost an afterthought. Think of how desperate coaches must be to get back to some degree of normal after not having a single workout for the entire spring. And coach after coach last week—football was an afterthought. Never do you hear all-football-all-the-time coaches like Houston’s Bill O’Brien talk like this:

“As a white head football coach in the National Football League, it’s important to speak out. There is real pain and statements can’t really take the pain away, I understand that. It’s so much deeper. It’s 400-years-ago slavery, it’s segregation, it’s police brutality, it’s not equal opportunities. It’s so much deeper, it’s deeper. We have to stand with the black community and we have to heed the call to action and challenge each other to live out the change that we want to see. I’m emotional, I’m sad, I’m frustrated because I’m questioning what can I do. I’ve got to do more.”

The DB is thinking everyone will be kneeling during the anthem, at least in Week One.

King’s timeline of the events involving Brees, Goodell and the rest of the NFL is below.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

Peter King on DREW BREES and his path to redemption:

• The real story now is between Brees and his teammates. Whether we think his social-media apology was heartfelt or just words to put out a fire he started, Brees can do nothing about the outside world throwing angry tweets at him. All he can do is build bridges with teammates who were and maybe still are angry with him. Now, it’s about the workplace, and whether Brees’ last season as a player (presumably) can be all about football and not about a quiet civil war. His relationship with Malcolm Jenkins is important inside the team. Let’s see how Brees gets along with the leader of the Players Coalition.

• Brees deserves a chance to make things right with his team and his city. No player in the 36 years I’ve covered the NFL has done more for his adopted community than Brees has done for New Orleans in his 15 years as a Saint. If you forget that, you’re not being fair. Brees grew up in Texas, went to college in Indiana and lives in the offseason in San Diego, but from the time he signed in wounded New Orleans post-Katrina, he became the Saint of (Almost) Lost Causes. Once, when I was writing for Sports Illustrated, I was in New Orleans to write about a quasi-secret society of 10 local entrepreneurs who kicked in $25,000 to $50,000 a year, and met once a year to decide how to split the pot to fund projects of little businesses torn asunder by Katrina. Walking into a restaurant for their annual meeting, Brees was stopped by a man and his wife. “Drew! We just wanted to say thank you,” the guy said. For what, Brees said. “For coming to New Orleans.” Not for winning so many big games. But for just coming. When Covid-19 struck, Brees gave $5 million to Louisiana charities and causes, by far the most money any player (and most owners) gave to their communities. Being ticked off at Brees, I get that. Abandoning Brees, to me, seems shortsighted.

• An idea. Let Brees, either with or without his team’s help, do something legitimately helpful to the black community. (As if he hasn’t done a lot already.) I don’t know what that is. Brees knows the causes in a scarred city much better than I do. Maybe it’s education-related, for the youth of the city. Whatever, he should find one and throw himself into it. Without cameras.

TAMPA BAY

Peter King:

Interesting football note from the week: Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians announced the Bucs will be a base two-tight-end team in 2020. That’s rare, and interesting on a number of fronts. It means Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich are intent on protecting Tom Brady with an extra big body—assuming Rob Gronkowski (265 pounds), O.J. Howard (251) Cameron Brate (245) split the tight end duties in some way this season—at the partial expense of speed and the deep-passing game. That would seem to fit Tom Brady’s strong suit, moving the chains and throwing intermediate above all.

It will be a change for the Bucs. Last year, they played “12 personnel” (two tight ends) on 22.4 percent of the snaps. That’s still more than the 2019 league average of 20 percent, per PFF.

As to who might get his role diminished if the Bucs play 12 personnel, say, 40 percent of the time, my guess is Chris Godwin, who really blossomed as an intermediate and deep threat with Jameis Winston last year. The bigger and more physical receiver of Tampa’s dynamic duo, Mike Evans, seems likely to be targeted more by Brady.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

Will the NFL’s unrest effect Bill Belichick in the short or long run?  Special teams ace MATTHEW SLATER says that so far he has done a good job of negotiating the verbal minefield.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Bill Belichick has not been one of the NFL head coaches to issue a statement or otherwise publicly comment on the issues of police brutality and systemic racism that have led to weeks of protest around the United States, but one prominent member of the team said he’s engaged on the topic.

Like most teams, the Patriots saw their team meetings shift from football to social matters for much of the last week and special teams ace Matthew Slater said that Belichick has been involved in those conversations.

“I think coach has a good, healthy understanding of the gravity of the situation and the times that we’re living in,” Slater said, via NBCSportsBoston.com. “I think he’s done a good job of trying to listen, trying to learn and hear from his players and try to navigate this as best as he can.

“Look, I understand what his job is. His job is to coach the football team and get the football team ready to be successful, and nothing’s going to take his focus away from that. But I do think that it’s important, as he has done, to hear from his players and understand that, ‘Hey, at the end of the day, football is temporary.’ What we’re left with is who we are as people, the values and beliefs and our experiences, and the results of those experiences. That’s what we’re going to be left with.

“So I’m sure that he’ll continue to be open and receptive to us having dialogue. I’m thankful for what he has done thus far as far as that process is concerned, and we’ll just see how it goes as we press forward.”

The last two weeks have seen major changes in the way the NFL has responded to these issues compared to when they came up in 2016 and 2017. What action will come from that remains to be seen, but it seems likely that players from New England and elsewhere are going to continue pushing for it inside and outside their organizations.

– – –

So far, it’s a friendly, cooperative competition between QBs JARRETT STIDHAM and BRIAN HOYER.  Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

At one of the recent Patriots private throwing sessions that quarterback Jarrett Stidham helped organize with teammates, there was no center on the field, so Stidham was snapping the ball to Brian Hoyer. And vice versa. The exchanges highlight an important working dynamic between the two: They are fiercely competitive in hopes of being the successor to Tom Brady, but also sacrificing to help each other. Teams can’t force a positive working relationship between their top quarterbacks, but with Hoyer’s experience and top-shelf professionalism, it was never really in question how it would look this year in New England.

THIS AND THAT

RECHE CALDWELL AND KEN RILEY

Two deaths of ex-players over the weekend.

First, former WR Reche Caldwell is murdered in Tampa – shot to death while leaving his house.  TMZ.com:

Reche Caldwell — a former NFL wide receiver who played with Tom Brady — was shot and killed in Tampa on Saturday, his mother confirms to TMZ Sports.

He was only 41.

Caldwell’s mother tells us … Reche — real name Donald Caldwell — was getting ready to take his girlfriend out on a date when he went back inside his home to grab a jacket.

Reche’s GF says the former player was “ambushed” by a “couple of people” who jumped out of bushes trying to rob him.

We’re told Reche was shot in the leg and chest — and someone called 911.

Unfortunately, the injuries were so severe, Caldwell’s mother tells us Reche died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

“He was a good person who smiled all of the time,” Deborah Caldwell tells us.

“He tried to help everyone he could. He was the type of guy who would take his shirt off his back and give it to you.”

Caldwell was a 2nd round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft after a stellar career at the University of Florida.

He played 6 years in the NFL for the Chargers, Patriots and Redskins — and was a part of the New England team that lost to the Colts in the 2006 AFC Championship.

We’ve reached out to authorities to find out of any arrests have been made. So far, no word back.

The New England Patriots have issued a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of former Patriot Reche Caldwell.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

– – –

– Cops now say it appears Caldwell was targeted — it was not a random act.

“Upon arrival, officers located an adult male victim of a gunshot wound in the front yard of a residence. Officers immediately began providing life-saving measures,” cops say.

“Tampa Fire Rescue arrived and transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”

“This does not appear to be a random act. However, it is very early in the investigation and detectives are working to develop leads in the case. Updates will be provided as they become available.”

Investigators are gathering information and asking the public for help — saying anyone with info should contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.

Brady remembered his wide receiver with a prayers emoji on Instagram.

This from TE BENJAMIN WATSON.

@BenjaminSWatson

Always kept us laughing and light hearted. Always had the biggest smile. Always had the greatest stories. Sad to hear about the passing of my teammate Reche Caldwell. May the Lord comfort his family during this time.

We feel we should note this:

On May 14, 2014, Caldwell was arrested for drug possession and intent to distribute. On January 30, 2015, he was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and three years probation for possession of MDMA with intent to distribute. In addition, he pleaded guilty to drug charges involving marijuana and ecstasy, along with charges involving gambling.

On December 12, 2019, Caldwell was accused by the Justice Department of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit health fraud on January 23, 2020, and was set to be sentenced in June 2020.

Another Floridian, Ken Riley who was a very, very good cornerback for the Bengals passed away at 72.  Peter King:

I think football lost a great player and person Sunday with the death of Cincinnati safety Ken Riley, who was 72. In a 15-year NFL career he had 65 interceptions—fifth all-time—and he’s always on the list of Hall of Fame candidates just barely on the outside. It’s interesting that he was first-team all-pro once in his career—at age 36, in his last season, 1983, when he had eight interceptions for the Bengals. He was as quiet and unassuming as they come, but a hugely admired leader on some competitive Cincinnati teams, including the Super Bowl team that lost to young Joe Montana in Super Bowl XVI. He’s one of those players the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee has studied extensively and has given a lot of support to. I’m not a member of that committee, but I’d support a long look at him.

We would think Riley is a case of a player who would have made the Hall if he had played in a bigger market or on a dynasty team.

BREAKOUT PLAYERS

Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com has a list of players poised to breakout in 2020.

The NFL is a league of opportunities, but not all opportunities are created equally. Some of last season’s rookies entered environments where they were behind other players on the depth chart or were being asked to do too much because the team had no one else to lighten the load.

In an effort to project the players who might break out in Year 2, we explored the moves that each team made this offseason and how it might impact the 2019 rookie class. 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray were excluded from this project because they have already broken onto the scene. The criteria essentially means non-household names and Pro Bowl selections will not be considered for the list.

Quarterback: Drew Lock, Broncos

The quarterback position is highly exposed in the NFL so it is more difficult to find a potential breakout player. Lock is a strong candidate for two reasons: 1) continuity within Denver’s offensive system and 2) significant additions made to his supporting cast.

General manager John Elway added Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler in the draft to pair with Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant. The offensive line is still a concern but the assortment of skill players on that roster is impressive. Melvin Gordon was signed in free agency to share Phillip Lindsay’s burden of carrying the football.

Running back: Miles Sanders, Eagles

Some might question what more Sanders needs to show to be considered a ‘breakout’ player. The answer is consistency. What gets lost in conversation is his performance over the first eight games of the season. During those games, he recorded 294 rushing yards on 66 attempts (4.46 yards per carry). It is a respectable figure but the sample size is small.

The Penn State product really started to differentiate himself with a larger workload down the home stretch. He had 113 carries for 524 yards (4.64 ypc). He also became a reliable contributor in the team’s pass attack as well. When the season ended, Sanders had all of the momentum.

Wide receiver: Mecole Hardman, Chiefs and Darius Slayton, Giants

The expectation was that Sammy Watkins would move on this offseason, which would allow Hardman to assume a larger role. When Watkins agreed to return on a pay cut, Hardman’s fantasy value took a dive. However, the team still intends to feed him more targets this season. When the Georgia product had the ball in his hands last season, he took advantage. It will be exciting to see him in a larger sample size.

Slayton burst onto the scene with 48 receptions for 740 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. With another year in the system alongside quarterback Daniel Jones, the Auburn product should be even more productive. During the first half of the season, he was consistent but it was not until the second half that he really posted some impressive statistical days.

Tight end: Jace Sternberger, Packers and T.J. Hockenson, Lions

The breakout team is going to run 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) because the tight end class was honestly more intriguing than the wide receivers. Sternberger and Hockenson were the two chosen, but I could have made arguments in defense of Noah Fant and Dawson Knox as well.

Green Bay was linked to the top tight ends available in free agency, but was unable to sign them. Parting with Jimmy Graham was the right decision, but it left them with a vacancy at the position. Sternberger, a third-round pick, is going to be asked to shoulder a larger share of the targets.

Hockenson was the first tight end taken, but his first season could only be described as ‘so-so.’ There is no question that an injury to veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford stifled his development. The Iowa product’s production should more closely resemble his potential in the upcoming season.

Offensive tackle: Jonah Williams, Bengals and Tytus Howard, Texans

Williams was viewed as a likely NFL offensive guard by many, but he has the ability to be a solid left tackle blocking for Joe Burrow. Cincinnati is essentially adding two first-round picks considering Williams missed all of last season. The franchise might get some consistent play from that position for the first time since Andrew Whitworth left in free agency.

Howard was the consolation prize for Houston, who had Andre Dillard taken out from underneath them by the Eagles. The rookie was moved a few times before finally settling in at right tackle. He was starting to play some good football when he sustained an injury. Howard played in just eight games last season, but he should show improvement in 2020.

Offensive guard: Dalton Risner, Broncos and Elgton Jenkins, Packers

The Denver offensive line was not a unit that inspired fear in the eyes of its opposition. Risner played fairly well and only improved as the season progressed. In addition to betting on Risner, I am betting on offensive line coach Mike Munchak — one of the best in the business — and his ability to develop the player.

Jenkins played really well in spurts but there was some inconsistency in his play. Jenkins’ ability to be physical and dominate opposing players as a rookie was impressive. Green Bay will need the lineman to continue his progression following a parting of ways with veteran offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga.

Center: Garrett Bradbury, Vikings

The first season for Bradbury was a bit of a disappointment. There were higher expectations for the first center taken in the 2019 NFL Draft. Minnesota really devoted some assets to improving the offensive line this offseason and that should only aid Bradbury. There is a lot of talent in the N.C. State product’s frame and there are good odds that it will bubble to the surface in Year 2.

Defensive tackle: Jeffery Simmons, Titans and Quinnen Williams, Jets

Simmons was regarded as a top-five talent in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he was coming off an injury. When Simmons took the field for the first time after missing seven games with the Titans, his presence was felt. He was a difference maker immediately. In fact, he was so good that the team felt comfortable moving on from veteran Jurrell Casey this offseason. With a full season, the Mississippi State product should garner more recognition league-wide.

Williams disappeared as quickly as he appeared a year earlier with the Crimson Tide. The former No. 3 overall selection recorded 2.5 sacks as a rookie. His play was not awful but it was uninspiring compared to the resources the team invested in him. There is clearly a lot more talent present than what fans witnessed in 2019. Of course, his offseason arrest did himself no favors. It is important to note that the defender only recently turned 22-years-old and still has a lot of football left to play.

Edge rushers: Brian Burns, Panthers and Montez Sweat, Redskins

Burns had a great season but was overshadowed by Bosa and Josh Allen. Despite playing roughly half of Carolina’s defensive snaps, the Florida State product concluded the year with 7.5 sacks. They allowed him to learn at a slower pace but now he must show what he learned with a new head coach and defensive coordinator. Burns is tremendous around the edge and has a knack for targeting the football. His play could lead to several game changing moments this season.

Sweat had seven sacks last season for the Redskins. All the team did was add CBS Sports’ No. 1 overall 2020 NFL Draft prospect, edge rusher Chase Young, to that defense. Teams will not be able to scheme against Sweat or Young solely, which means the team could be a nightmarish matchup for opposing teams; similar to the 49ers’ defensive front a year ago.

Linebacker: Devin White, Buccaneers and Drue Tranquill, Chargers

During the 2019 NFL Draft, there was a lot of conversation about Devin Bush versus White. Bush contributed early but White showed the type of potential down the stretch that should be expected of a No. 5 overall selection. He finished the year with 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception. If he plays an entire season the way he did down the stretch, Tampa Bay has a chance to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them.

Tranquill is a more mobile linebacker used primarily in sub packages. Our breakout defensive team is going to be smaller, but no less impactful in our approach to combat more spread style offenses. Tranquill was all over the field last season. He should have more opportunities to make an impact with an improved defensive unit around him this season.

Cornerback: Greedy Williams, Browns and Sean Murphy-Bunting, Buccaneers

Williams missed a large portion of the season dealing with a hamstring injury. When he was active, the defense was not exactly geared towards his strengths. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods’ scheme is much more conducive to the LSU product fulfilling expectations. Cleveland will need bounce back seasons from Denzel Ward and Williams with the return of Ben Roethlisberger and the introduction of Burrow to the AFC North.

Murphy-Bunting recorded three interceptions last season, but the casual fan would not recognize his name. Tampa Bay should receive more time under the spotlight this season thanks to Tom Brady. The second year cornerback out of Central Michigan has the opportunity to introduce himself to a larger audience.

Safety: Juan Thornhill, Chiefs, Johnathan Abram, Raiders and Taylor Rapp, Rams

Similar to the tight end class, there are some really good safeties who could not be left off this list. I could make a case for Green Bay’s Darnell Savage as well, but he played most of the season. Thornhill suffered a torn ACL in the regular season finale but not before recording three interceptions during his rookie campaign. The ceiling is really high for him.

Abram missed the entire season with a torn rotator cuff. The energy and attitude that he brings the defensive side of the ball should help the Raiders defense play with an edge. Vocal by nature, Abram had already begun to assert himself as one of the leaders on that side of the football before sustaining his injury. He can play closer to the box if asked.

Rapp had the benefit of learning from Eric Weddle for a season. The former is an instinctive player that should capitalize on his chance in 2020. He recorded two interceptions in 15 games last season.

THE BEST CONFERENCE TEAM IS…

Surely, the SEC has the total numbers of players in the NFL, but ESPN.com argues that if teams of the best players competed – the Big Ten would win against the other Power 5 conferences as well as a team of leftovers:

NFL Ultimate All-Conference Teams

ACC | SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | non-Power 5

No. 1: BIG TEN

OFFENSE

QB Russell Wilson, Wisconsin (Seattle Seahawks)

RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (Dallas Cowboys)

WR Michael Thomas, Ohio State (New Orleans Saints)

WR Chris Godwin, Penn State (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

TE George Kittle, Iowa (San Francisco 49ers)

Flex Saquon Barkley, Penn State (New York Giants)

OT Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin (Saints)

G Rodger Saffold, Indiana (Tennessee Titans)

C Pat Elflein, Ohio State (Minnesota Vikings)

G Brandon Scherff, Iowa (Washington Redskins)

OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan (Titans)

DEFENSE

Edge Joey Bosa, Ohio State (Los Angeles Chargers)

DT Cameron Heyward, Ohio State (Pittsburgh Steelers)

DT Kawann Short, Purdue (Carolina Panthers)

Edge Nick Bosa, Ohio State (49ers)

LB Lavonte David, Nebraska (Bucs)

LB Devin Bush, Michigan (Steelers)

Flex J.J. Watt, Wisconsin (Houston Texans)

CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State (Saints)

CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State (Cleveland Browns)

S Devin McCourty, Rutgers (New England Patriots)

S Micah Hyde, Iowa (Buffalo Bills)

Trotter’s reaction: “Just how good is Team Big Ten? Neither Tom Brady nor Drew Brees even made the cut. In addition to starring Wilson at quarterback, the Big Ten got my vote for two primary reasons: the absolutely elite contingent at the offensive skill positions (Elliott, Barkley, Thomas, Godwin and Kittle!) and a Bosa-heavy pass rush that matches up with any other conference.”

Yates’ reaction: “Honestly I looked at it like this. You can’t say, ‘Here are the strengths of the roster.’ Because they all have strengths, right? They’re all incredibly loaded. So it’s as simple as, ‘Alright, where is a weakness?’ Now, in some conferences it would be hard for me to point to a real major weakness. But if I were to nitpick, you had more players that are ascending and in the prime of their career in the Big Ten, like Michael Thomas and Chris Godwin, as opposed to someone like Larry Fitzgerald who’s probably year to year at this point.”

Toughest choice: Quarterback. How on earth are you supposed to choose between Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson? Our panel narrowly went with Wilson (four votes, compared to three for Brady and two for Brees) based on the criteria that we’re constructing the best roster for 2020.

Personally speaking, this was probably the choice I wrestled with longer than any other in this whole exercise. I would have gone with Wilson if we were building a team for the next two or three years. I would have gone with Brady if they were all playing at their peak right now. And I wanted to avoid making a “homer pick” with Brees since I cover the Saints. But at the same time, that helps me appreciate how well Brees is still playing. He was the MVP runner-up in 2018, then had the best passer rating of his career in 2019. He got my vote, since I still trust him most to get the best out of this stacked offense.

Biggest strength: Edge rushers. Wow, this is right up there with the SEC secondary as contenders for the most loaded position group in this entire project. It was so overcrowded that we had to split up the Watt brothers, leaving T.J. off the list. We also didn’t have room for the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, Chase Young, among others.

“No league has produced a deeper and more varied group of elite-level pass-rushers than the Big Ten,” Rittenberg said. “Ohio State supplies the Bosa brothers and now Chase Young. Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt is approaching a decade of dominance in the league. And don’t forget Maryland’s Yannick Ngakoue, who is an excellent value.”

Missing piece: Retired O-linemen. Obviously, the offensive line has always been a calling card for the Big Ten. But just imagine how much stronger this unit would be if guard Marshal Yanda and center Travis Frederick hadn’t just hung up their cleats.

Player pitch from Marshon Lattimore: “The recent talent from Ohio State alone speaks for itself when you think of some of the skill players like [Thomas] and Ezekiel Elliott and some of the talent on defense like the Bosas and [Ward]. I have another teammate, Ryan Ramczyk from Wisconsin, who’s a dominating lineman as well as some others from these schools around the league. Then you look at how two of the top quarterbacks of all time in Drew Brees and Tom Brady have come out of the conference as well as Russell Wilson, and it shows how the Big Ten has phenomenal players in the league right now.”

No. 2: SEC

OFFENSE

QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Cowboys)

RB Derrick Henry, Alabama (Titans)

WR Julio Jones, Alabama (Atlanta Falcons)

WR Mike Evans, Texas A&M (Bucs)

TE Jared Cook, South Carolina (Saints)

Flex Odell Beckham Jr., LSU (Browns)

OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss (Texans)

G Trai Turner, LSU (Chargers)

C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida (Steelers)

G Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State (Green Bay Packers)

OT Andrew Whitworth, LSU (Los Angeles Rams)

DEFENSE

Edge Von Miller, Texas A&M (Denver Broncos)

DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State (Philadelphia Eagles)

DT Chris Jones, Mississippi State (Kansas City Chiefs)

Edge Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (Browns)

LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama (New York Jets)

LB Roquan Smith, Georgia (Chicago Bears)

Flex Danielle Hunter, LSU (Vikings)

CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina (Patriots)

CB Tre’Davious White, LSU (Bills)

S Tyrann Mathieu, LSU (Chiefs)

S Jamal Adams, LSU (Jets)

Bowen’s reaction: “When I look at the impact talent on this SEC defense — at all three levels — there is no question on why they belong at the No.1 spot. Myles Garrett, Von Miller and Fletcher Cox up front; three-down traits at the linebacker position; and a playmaking secondary with Stephon Gilmore, Tre’Davious White, Jamal Adams and Tyrann Mathieu. You aren’t moving the ball consistently on this group.”

Davenport’s reaction: “I voted the SEC as the No. 1 team because it was so deep from top to bottom. Any offense that features Dak Prescott throwing to Julio Jones and Mike Evans while also being able to hand the ball off to Derrick Henry is unstoppable. Then on the defensive side, the Chris Jones and Fletcher Cox combo can’t be blocked while Stephon Gilmore and Tre’Davious White match up well against pretty much any wide receiver combo.”

Toughest choice: Running back and wide receiver. There was an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, where we couldn’t find room for Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb, Todd Gurley, Amari Cooper or A.J. Green among others. Jones was the only unanimous choice at receiver or running back.

“Henry received the most votes at running back, and I get it. He’s a volume back with the physical traits to take over games in the fourth quarter. But what about the dual-threat ability of Kamara?” said Bowen, who was one of five panelists to vote for Kamara at either running back or the flex spot. “He’s a three-down impact player at the position. And let’s not forget about Chubb, who can hammer the ball between the tackles and rip off explosive plays. I could have voted for all three.”

Biggest strength: Defensive back. If the SEC winds up winning this competition, the defense will be the reason — especially this loaded secondary. Because of tiebreakers, The Associated Press named seven defensive backs as first-team All-Pros last season. And a whopping six of them came from the SEC. This group is so stacked that we had to leave out Minkah Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jackson, Marlon Humphrey and Patrick Peterson.

“You could have told me to pick the starters for the SEC secondary and then said, ‘Actually, those players are not available to you,’ and I’d still feel great about my group!” Yates said. “Outstanding players were bound to miss the cut.”

Missing piece: Quarterback. No offense to Prescott (or runners-up Matthew Stafford and Cam Newton). But he is going to be measured against the likes of Patrick Mahomes from the Big 12; Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Russell Wilson from the Big Ten; Lamar Jackson from the ACC; and Aaron Rodgers from the Pac-12 when we vote for the ultimate champion. And that’s the one area that could hold back the mighty SEC.

No. 3: ACC

OFFENSE

QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville (Baltimore Ravens)

RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Vikings)

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson (Arizona Cardinals)

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt (Cardinals)

TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame (Vikings)

Flex DeVante Parker, Louisville (Miami Dolphins)

OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame (Ravens)

G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame (Indianapolis Colts)

C Rodney Hudson, Florida State (Las Vegas Raiders)

G Zack Martin, Notre Dame (Cowboys)

OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame (49ers)

DEFENSE

Edge Chandler Jones, Syracuse (Cardinals)

DT Aaron Donald, Pitt (Rams)

DT Grady Jarrett, Clemson (Falcons)

Edge Bradley Chubb, NC State (Broncos)

LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech (Bills)

LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame (Cowboys)

Flex Calais Campbell, Miami (Ravens)

CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State (Rams)

CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville (Packers)

S Derwin James, Florida State (Chargers)

S Harrison Smith, Notre Dame (Vikings)

Adelson’s reaction: “I have a simple reason for voting the ACC No. 1. They have the best player in the league on offense and the best player in the league on defense. How could anyone pick against a team that has both Lamar Jackson and Aaron Donald, plus that star-studded offensive line?”

Rittenberg’s reaction: “Lamar Jackson’s best days are still ahead with improved talent around him for the 2020 season. I really like both the offensive and defensive lines for the ACC, which boasts arguably the best interior lineman on both sides (Quenton Nelson, Aaron Donald). And the ACC’s strength in the secondary nudges it ahead of the Big Ten, which has more pass-rushing punch (the Bosas, J.J. Watt) and an edge at wide receiver/tight end.”

Toughest choice: Quarterback. Jackson, the NFL’s reigning MVP, won comfortably with seven out of nine votes. But the ACC had plenty of notable candidates, including Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers and Jameis Winston. “It was a very difficult choice to make, but the jump Watson made from Year 2 to Year 3 and what I think he’s capable of in his fourth season led me to vote for him,” said Cronin, who was one of two panelists to go that route. “Watson is an MVP-caliber quarterback, too. I respect all that Jackson did in 2019 and think he’s a more dynamic all-around player. But I go back to last season and see moments where Watson single-handedly won or kept the Texans in games in spite of everything else that was going wrong for Houston.”

Biggest strength: Offensive line. There are plenty of good answers for this category in a star-studded lineup led by Jackson, Donald and Hopkins. But this offensive line deserves special mention because it might be the best of any conference once you add in that ridiculous amount of talent from the Irish.

“Hey, the scheduling partnership the ACC has with Notre Dame in football has its benefits!” Adelson said. “But in all seriousness, nobody thinks much about the ACC producing talent at offensive line because the default generally goes to the Big Ten. But the conference has consistently turned out good players, including three that received votes here in Anthony Castonzo, Joe Thuney and Brian O’Neill.”

Missing piece: Luke Kuechly. The linebacker’s retirement left the ACC without one of its biggest stars. Another area where the conference will have trouble measuring up is tight end, where Rudolph beat out young riser Darren Waller and aging stars Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham.

Player pitch from Broncos DE Bradley Chubb: “It’s crazy, I was just talking about this with somebody the other day. People look at the ACC now and maybe they say ‘they don’t have many great teams’ or whatever. But you look at it when I was in there, there was a whole bunch of players with NFL talent making impact plays. Derwin James and Jalen Ramsey and Jameis Winston and Lamar. When you look at the talent some of those teams had and look at what some of those guys are doing in the NFL right now, you have to give some respect to that. It’s right there for people to see. That team could play with anybody. You have the MVP at quarterback, two of the best pass-rushers in the league just to start in Chandler Jones and Aaron Donald. For me to even be in there somewhere is a blessing for sure.”

No. 4: Pac-12

OFFENSE

QB Aaron Rodgers, Cal (Packers)

RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Panthers)

WR Keenan Allen, Cal (Chargers)

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC (Steelers)

TE Zach Ertz, Stanford (Eagles)

Flex Rob Gronkowski, Arizona (Bucs)

OT David Bakhtiari, Colorado (Packers)

G David DeCastro, Stanford (Steelers)

C Alex Mack, Cal (Falcons)

G Andrus Peat, Stanford (Saints)

OT Tyron Smith, USC (Cowboys)

DEFENSE

Edge Cameron Jordan, Cal (Saints)

DT DeForest Buckner, Oregon (Colts)

DT Jurrell Casey, USC (Broncos)

Edge Everson Griffen, USC (free agent)

LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA (Vikings)

LB Anthony Barr, UCLA (Vikings)

Flex Arik Armstead, Oregon (49ers)

CB Richard Sherman, Stanford (49ers)

CB Marcus Peters, Washington (Ravens)

S Budda Baker, Washington (Cardinals)

S Marcus Williams, Utah (Saints)

Legwold’s reaction: “Defensively I thought the Pac-12 was stronger, front to back, than both the Big 12 and the non-Power 5. That mattered to me because I’ve watched too many 500-point teams not win the Super Bowl over the years, as well as the only 600-point team in league history, to believe offense can overcome all ills in the biggest games. That said, the Pac-12 offense with Aaron Rodgers, Christian McCaffrey, Keenan Allen, Zach Ertz and Rob Gronkowski had to get some love.”

Biggest strength: Defensive line. Don’t sleep on the enormous amount of talent that has emerged from the Pac-12, which can hold its own against any other conference at quarterback, running back, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive line, linebacker and cornerback.

“There was a ton of talent to choose from when building my defensive line,” Cronin said. “I toiled over a list that included Jordan, Griffen, Armstead, Buckner, Casey (and didn’t include Terrell Suggs, Lorenzo Alexander, Vita Vea and Kenny Clark just to name a few). The group of interior linemen alone is arguably the best of any conference.”

Missing piece: Safety. Baker and Williams are fine choices, but Eric Weddle would have given this group even more cachet if he hadn’t just retired.

Player pitch from Cameron Jordan: “The Pac-12 starters might be the most complete team in the league. Other conferences may have some overall depth that would be great by committee. But their best O and D may not be able to hang with the starters we’re presenting. We’ve got pass-rushers who can play the run and give heat off the edge, plus playmakers who can shut down offenses, plus two of the top five corners in the league. And on offense it’s a no-brainer. Clean routes and high catch percentage.”

No. 5: Big 12

OFFENSE

QB Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (Chiefs)

RB Joe Mixon, Oklahoma (Cincinnati Bengals)

WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State (Seahawks)

WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma (Ravens)

TE Mark Andrews, Oklahoma (Ravens)

Flex CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma (Cowboys)

OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma (Eagles)

G Quinton Spain, West Virginia (Bills)

C Cody Whitehair, Kansas State (Bears)

G Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State (free agent)

OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma (49ers)

DEFENSE

Edge Jerry Hughes, TCU (Bills)

DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (Cowboys)

DT Jordan Phillips,Oklahoma (Cardinals)

Edge Bruce Irvin, West Virginia (Seahawks)

LB Jordan Hicks, Texas (Cardinals)

LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma (Chargers)

Flex Jeff Gladney, TCU (Vikings)

CB Chris Harris Jr., Kansas (Chargers)

CB Xavien Howard, Baylor (Dolphins)

S Earl Thomas III, Texas (Ravens)

S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas (Titans)

Cronin’s reaction: “If I’m building a team to contend for a Super Bowl, the position I’m considering first and foremost is quarterback. If Mahomes is my QB, regardless of whoever I have I have at the skill positions, I know I’ve got more than a fair shot to compete for a championship. With that said, I think the receivers, tight ends and running backs from the Big 12 are on par with the top three conferences (I had SEC, ACC and Big Ten ahead of the Big-12). I’d put Tyler Lockett, Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb up against any group of wideouts.”

Toughest choice: Running back. Four guys received votes here, with Mixon beating out Chris Carson, Adrian Peterson and Super Bowl standout Damien Williams.

“Several quality backs hail from the Big 12. But Mixon’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield gives him the slight edge over Carson, Williams and Peterson,” Trotter said. “Though Peterson is still effective despite all the tread on his tires — he is now 35.”

Biggest strength: Quarterback. Mahomes is so dominant that he single-handedly lifts up a roster that would likely finish last in the voting without him.

“Mahomes is the rare quarterback that can destroy defenses with both his running and throwing ability,” Davenport said. “When all of the receivers are covered, Mahomes can break the pocket and rip off long runs or make defenses pay by escaping pressure and using his tremendous arm strength to generate chunk gains. He’s borderline unstoppable!”

Missing piece: Defensive front seven. Having the game’s best quarterback is huge, obviously. But pressuring the quarterback probably ranks as the second-most important factor when it comes to building a roster. And the Big 12 isn’t nearly as loaded up front as the other all-star teams we’ve assembled.

Player pitch from Kenny Vaccaro: “It really was the guys before me that kind of set the precedent when it was Michael Huff, and obviously Mike G [Michael Griffin] got drafted to the Titans,” Vaccaro said of Texas’ long tradition of producing NFL DBs. “Number of good players, Cedric Griffin, Aaron Williams, guys I played with. Earl Thomas, who is all-decade in the NFL. Quandre Diggs has done a really good job. There’s been a lot of talent come through. We’ve just got to keep pumping them out. I’m not pleased with these last couple of years.”

No. 6: non-Power 5

OFFENSE

QB Carson Wentz, North Dakota State (Eagles)

RB Aaron Jones, UTEP (Packers)

WR Davante Adams, Fresno State (Packers)

WR Tyreek Hill, West Alabama (Chiefs)

TE Travis Kelce, Cincinnati (Chiefs)

Flex Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois (Detriot Lions)

OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Saints)

G Brandon Brooks, Miami (OH) (Eagles)

C Jason Kelce, Cincinnati (Eagles)

G Joel Bitonio, Nevada (Browns)

OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan (Chiefs)

DEFENSE

Edge Khalil Mack, Buffalo (Bears)

DT Akiem Hicks, Regina (Bears)

DT Ed Oliver, Houston (Bills)

Edge DeMarcus Lawrence, Boise State (Cowboys)

LB Bobby Wagner, Utah State (Seahawks)

LB Darius Leonard, South Carolina State (Colts)

Flex Shaquil Barrett, Colorado State (Bucs)

CB Byron Jones, UConn (Dolphins)

CB A.J. Bouye, Central Florida (Broncos)

S Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee (Titans)

S Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois (49ers)

Reaction: I thought this group might finish a lot higher when we first started putting these rosters together. And I voted them fifth ahead of the Big 12 since they’re so much deeper and can match up with any other conference at edge rusher, linebacker, receiver, tight end and offensive line. Alas, they couldn’t overcome the Mahomes factor.

Toughest choice: Wide receiver. Adams and Hill were easy selections. But Golladay was one of six receivers who earned votes for that flex spot, beating out Julian Edelman, T.Y. Hilton, Cooper Kupp, Courtland Sutton and Adam Thielen.

“There is only one reason why I can rest easy with my decision to leave the guys off that I did: These players have been overlooked before and will use it as fuel to be even greater going forward!” Yates said. “Ultimately, the toughest call is whether to include a player like Edelman or Thielen to dominate the slot (which would have been the direction I personally went). But adding Golladay with Hill will make for a perpetual presence to stretch defenses down the field.”

Biggest strength: Linebacker/edge rusher. These two groups were so loaded that we had to leave out first-team All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis, Leighton Vander Esch, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Matthew Judon, among others.

“Davis was the best stack ‘backer in the NFL last season,” said Bowen, who voted for the LB trio of Wagner, Leonard and Davis. “The play speed jumps on film, so does his three-down skill set at the position. And the production tells a story, too. If I’m building a defense, give me Davis in the middle.”

Missing piece: Quarterback. There is no shortage of quarterback talent coming out of non-Power 5 schools. But the timing is unfortunate since Ben Roethlisberger is coming back from a major injury and Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo are coming off of non-Pro Bowl seasons. That trio would’ve looked even better two years ago, when Wentz was a leading MVP contender and they combined for a record of 28-5 as starters.

Player pitch from Kevin Byard: “It’s almost like being a small-market team in the NFL. There are a ton of talented players that get overlooked sometimes because of it. But I think it also puts a bigger chip on our shoulders because you always feel like you have something to prove, not only to yourself but to everyone who ever slept on you (which usually dates back to high school recruiting as well).”

PETER KING’S TIMELINE

Peter King puts together a pretty compete timeline of how the NFL emerged squarely committed to its new mission for “change”:

As with many NFL employees, NFL social media creative producer, Bryndon Minter, 27, was angry with the NFL’s word-salad response to the George Floyd murder and the ensuing outcry for a firmer message. Early in the week, with the Floyd killing beginning to dominate society, Minter told his bosses he didn’t want to do business as usual. He couldn’t in good conscience post “Five best Jalen Ramsey interceptions,” and he couldn’t sit by while his employer wasn’t out-front with an action plan for the Floyd story. So Minter, who is white, did something that he knew could cost him his job. What if he could get a player, or players, to voice what they were feeling, adamantly? Working virtually from his kitchen table in Mar Vista (in West L.A.), Minter sent a message to Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, who’d been reacting strongly to the death of Floyd. “Want to help you create content to be heard around the league,” Minter wrote to Thomas. “I’m an NFL social employee and am embarrassed by how the league has been silent this week. The NFL hasn’t condemned racism. The NFL hasn’t said that Black Lives Matter. I want [to] help you put pressure on. And arm you with a video that expresses YOUR voice and what you want from the league. Give me a holler if you’re interested in working together, thanks bro!” Minter said he did not expect a response.

5:33 p.m. He got one, in 23 minutes. Thomas, in New Orleans, answered. He was interested. What could they do? Minter envisioned players telling the NFL they needed to be supported more, and the highest levels of the league needed to come out unambiguously and say peaceful player protest was okay, racism in any form was not, black lives matter, and listen to your players. Thomas okayed the project. “We have the channels—we need the content that can share our voice,” Thomas said.  Minter and co-worker Nick Toney, working from his home in New York, went to work.

11 p.m. Minter pinged Thomas and said he’d have a script ready for him to peruse that night. Minter and Toney, bi-Coastal, worked using a Google Doc to add and subtract copy. At one point, one said, “My God! Michael Thomas is in on this!” They kept trimming. “It needed to be snackable,” Minter said. Because Thomas thought he could engage several players to be in on the video, Minter and Toney wrote lines for multiple players. One of the key lines they wanted multiple players in a Zoom-like checkerboard to say was, “WE, the players of the National Football League.” To show the game IS the players. Thomas would lead the video. Minter and Toney wrote this for the emerging leader and young star whose Twitter feed @Cantguardmike is one of the league’s rising social accounts, as if Thomas was speaking directly to Roger Goodell, and for Thomas and other players to lead the video with::

“It’s been 10 days since George Floyd was brutally murdered. How many times do we need to ask you to listen to your players? What will it take? For one of us to be murdered by police brutality? What if I was George Floyd?”

Thursday: The Wheels Are In Motion

2 a.m. Thomas got the script after midnight in New Orleans. Loved it. Meanwhile, he began engaging some of the league’s biggest stars to be involved—at the same time he was dealing with the three-alarm fire of what Brees said, prepping for a major Saints team meeting on Thursday. “I’m in awe of how Michael balanced these two huge things,” said Minter. “While simultaneously dealing with the Drew Brees situation and figuring how to handle that, he’s texting all these guys around the league to be involved in this project. Once he was in, he said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get the best of the best for this.”

8:22 a.m. Drew Brees on Twitter: “I am sorry, and I will do better, and I will be part of the solution. I am your ally.” On CNN, Saints linebacker Demario Davis supported Brees, saying the mark of a leader is admitting a mistake.

10 a.m. By the time Minter woke up, he’d been sent files from Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks of the Vikings and Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott. Odell Beckham Jr. sent his files on iCloud. Minter told a supervisor what he was doing, so as not to blindside him, knowing that the supervisor would send the information of this rogue video up the food chain. “I was at peace with whatever happened, at peace with the prospect of losing my job over this,” Minter said. “If I was told I was losing my job in the middle of this, I’d still have put the video out. I was just the vehicle for the players having a voice.”

1:15 p.m. Ordering breakfast in the drive-through lane at Chick Fil-A, Minter got confirmation that Patrick Mahomes was in. Mahomes, the new face of the league; that was big.

1:45 p.m. Jets safety Jamal Adams, via cameraphone from his driver’s seat, sent his “WE, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people,” and raised his right fist in a black power salute. Mahomes’ video, recorded in his shoe closet, said “WE, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter.” This was a kernel of an idea 20 hours ago. Now, Minter knew, it was going to be huge. “When I saw Jamal’s video and his passion, I got goosebumps,” Minter said. “That’s the same emotion my black colleagues working in the league have.”

2 p.m. The Saints team meeting commenced. In a 100-minute meeting via teleconference, Brees emotionally apologized—that much we know, and we’re pretty sure it included tears from Brees. We don’t know a lot, though, because Payton and the Saints threw a news blackout over what happened in the room. I’m guessing the Saints coach is going to channel his inner Parcells over the next couple of months. Noted tough guy/mental-game-player Bill Parcells is a mentor for Payton, who I’d bet will try to find a way to make this this an us-versus-them thing, us against the divisive forces of all media—including the social-media missives from other NFL players and in other leagues.

The weird part of the story is there was one non-Saint in the Zoom meeting: Shaquille O’Neal. The team has guests speak to some virtual team meetings (Snoop Dogg did the honors on one meeting in May), and Shaq happened to be on the schedule Thursday. So there he was, watching the most emotional and important Zoom meeting in NFL history—it’s not a very long history—and when Shaq spoke up, he had something to say. Something, it turns out, that made him quite a valuable participant in this Zoom meeting. As one ear-witness said, O’Neal told the coaches and players words approximating these: They’re going to try to divide you, just like they divided us with the Lakers! Me and Kobe [Bryant], we had a great thing going, but the media divided our team. We could have won five more championships! Stay strong. Don’t let the media divide you! Don’t let social media divide you!

5 p.m. Working on his NFL-issued MacBook Pro on approximately 100 video files of all different quality from 20 NFL players—including Deshaun Watson, Stephon Gilmore, Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley, Jarvis Landry, Tyrann Mathieu, DeAndre Hopkins and newcomer Chase Young—there was only one player missing: Giants receiver Sterling Shepard. Thomas very much wanted Shepard, and his “I am Laquan McDonald” line, in the final product. Amazingly, the video was just about ready and captioned less than 24 hours after Minter broached the idea to Thomas.

6:32 p.m. A new and bolstered NFL statement was issued for the @NFL Twitter feed. “We stand with the black community because Black Lives Matter. Through Inspire Change, the NFL, Players and our partners have supported programs and initiatives throughout the country to address systemic racism. We will continue using our platform to challenge the injustice around us. To date we have donated $44 million to support hundreds of worthy organizations. This year, we are committing an additional $20 million to these causes and we will accelerate efforts to highlight their critical work. We know that we can and need to do more.”

The NFL kept hearing from its employees that its previous statement was weak and didn’t clearly state it condemns racism—even though its work with the Players Coalition, including a May 26 meeting with Coalition leader Anquan Boldin, laid out a platform of work it would do this year in police reform. The league had been thinking of bolstering the message since Tuesday, so this new statement wasn’t spur-of-the-moment. But it did end up beating the players video by 2.5 hours. “Hearing the league say ‘Black lives matter’ was a start,” one player said.

8:15 p.m. Minter got the video file from Sterling Shepard. “I am Laquan McDonald.” He shoehorned it into the video, polished it, and sent the final product to Thomas. “This is the most insane thing I’ve done in my life,” Minter said. “Unheard of from a creative standpoint.” Less than 28 hours after virtually meeting Michael Thomas, an iconic video (and it will be) was created and posted, and it will affect how people view players, perhaps for a long time.

8:45 p.m. In a text to Minter after watching the video, Thomas wrote: “Amazing work. You are elite.”

9 p.m. The video posted on Saquon Barkley’s account, and seven minutes later Michael Thomas posted. A hit. What was so compelling about it is the tinge of anger that accompanied messages from such widely respected players. Mathieu, for instance, is one of the best leaders on any team in football; Andy Reid gave him a strong leadership role on the Super Bowl Chiefs last year. He was speaking directly to Goodell when he said: “How many time do we need to ask you to listen to your players?” Neatly woven together are 20 voices, saying this: “We will not be silenced. We assert our right to peacefully protest. It shouldn’t take this long to admit … So on behalf of the National Football League, this is what we the players would like to hear you state: We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.”

9:30 p.m. Sitting in his home in Washington, D.C., former player Donte’ Stallworth, who was politically active as a player and is even moreso now, watched the video. He pumped his fist. “YES! YES!” Stallworth said. Later, he said, “The players are finally wielding this power they’ve always had. I loved it.”

Friday: Black Employees Matter

10 a.m. “I’m going to make a video,” Goodell announces to his executive team on a regular morning videoconference. (League employees are still working from home.) The video was powerful, as were several emails to Goodell from black employees, who make up about 10 percent of the league’s off-the-field work force. One spoke of “hopelessness,” and that got to Goodell. There was a league town hall, co-hosted by M.J. Acosta and Steve Wyche of NFL Network, scheduled for 1 p.m., with Goodell and three guest speakers to discuss race and the state of the league and the country. On the Zoom invitation were 12 faces of black people killed by police in recent years. On another Zoom meeting during the week, about 200 employees, the majority black members of the league’s chapter of the Black Engagement Network, met virtually. “It was a ‘Let it out’ session,” said Jarick Walker, 31, an influencer and talent marketing manager for the league. Walker is black. “A lot of people [black employees] were feeling frustrated. But we got to the point where we weren’t afraid to voice it anymore.”

1 p.m. The 100-minute virtual Town Hall was emotional from the start. One person in the meeting said it was actually Jarick Walker’s question/plea that was the most riveting. Walker was prepared. He was the first employee to speak. “I was outspoken,” Walker told me. “My point, basically, was this: I am unsure where we stand. The NFL is the American sport that brings us all together when disasters happen. The NFL brought the country together after 9/11, after Karina. Here’s another disaster. The NFL’s not bringing us together. Why? We’re America’s game. We need to hear from the mountaintop that we as a league condemn racism.”

When he finished, Walker said, the Zoom Town Hall, with hundreds on it, was silent. “I was shaking,” Walker said. “I broke down in tears.” If Goodell didn’t know now how his black employees felt, he did now. And though he’d already decided to come out strong with his own video, this was another brick in the wall.

3 p.m. Goodell, in a blue sweater in his home 15 miles north of the league office in Westchester County, recorded his 81-second video for posting that evening. He said:

“We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter.

“I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country.

“Without black players, there would be no National Football League, and the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff. We are listening. I am listening.”

4:08 p.m. President Trump, who had once urged NFL owners to fire any “son of a bitch” NFL player for kneeling during the national anthem, criticized Brees for apologizing to his teammates and to the country. NO KNEELING, Trump said. All caps. Now the ball was in Brees’ court.

6:31 p.m. The NFL released Goodell’s statement on Twitter.

@NFL

We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange

7:10 p.m. Drew Brees rebutted Donald Trump’s criticism for apologizing by tweeting: “We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform. We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when? We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities.”

7:18 p.m.: Michael Thomas retweeted Goodell’s statement with this line: “Well said Roger.”

10:14 p.m.: Thomas retweeted Brees’ response to Trump with this line: “MY QB” with the flex emoji.

At 5:44 p.m. Saturday, Minter got an email from Goodell. Goodell thanked him for the “powerful and impactful” video. Goodell told Minter he’d love to get him more involved in the league’s social initiatives.