More NFL players than ever decided to kneel during the national anthem last weekend, and they were apparently almost joined by at least one of the league’s game officials.
Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman was told that one game official gave consideration to making a political statement of his own.
It’s unlikely it would ever come to pass, but I have heard from some front office people that one game official was considering taking a knee last weekend as part of the leaguewide social justice protests. Doesn’t mean it will happen, but I’ve heard it enough times from several front office folks to believe it was a possibility.
The league has openly said that it supports the right of its players to express themselves, so you would have to think the same stance would be taken with officials — at least publicly. Whether or not officials would be encouraged behind closed doors to not take part in protests is another discussion.
There will be plenty more political demonstrations throughout the league in Week 4. Referees and judges already face a ton of scrutiny every time they take the field, and we all saw the way some fans reacted to the increased number of kneeling players last week. An official joining the movement would certainly be headline material.
