Players from the Houston Texans will protest ahead of their 4:05 p.m. ET game against the Seahawks in Seattle, according to Adam Schefter. At issue is the comment team owner Bob McNair made two weeks ago, and first reported Friday morning by ESPN, saying “We can’t have the inmates running the prison.”
Why Texans players plan to protest team owner Bob McNair
Expect Texans players to make a statement before their 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff in Seattle.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
What to expect: Left tackle Duane Brown says that most of the team will kneel.
They decided to take action during a Saturday meeting in Seattle. Among the protests discussed were kneeling as a team or removing the team’s logo decal from their helmets and raising a fist during the national anthem.
McNair met with Texans players on Saturday to apologize for his comment, but it was not well received. The team considered walking out of practice on Friday. A meeting with head coach Bill O’Brien convinced them otherwise. Receiver Nuk Hopkins and running back D’onta Foreman did not practice.
Why it matters: McNair gave millions to Donald Trump’s election and inauguration effort. His views were already a source of tension. Left tackle Duane Brown, who’s been outspoken in the wake of McNair’s “inmates” comment, held out to start the season, and part of the reason for that was McNair’s views.
The comment from the meeting came in regard to the sensitive issue of players peacefully protesting police brutality and racial inequality by taking a knee during the national anthem. Team owners gathered for their regular fall meeting and discussed how to approach the issue in the wake of Trump’s comments about it, and McNair, along with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, was part of a group who wanted to force players to stand during the anthem.
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