There were nine teams from the NFL that opted to cancel practice in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake, Although the Miami Dolphins were not among them, the recent turn of events are not going to be ignored by head coach Brian Flores.

Flores acknowledged his own experience with racial injustice and says the team will find a way to help spark true change:

“I lived this. . . . I’ve had guns pointed at me by police officers,” Flores said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “This is not something I take lightly. We need change. That’s where I’m at on that situation.”

As one of four minority head coaches in the NFL, Flores is one of the few that understand the kind of impact police brutality can have on the morale of his team. This unprecedented offseason had already been highlighted by calls for justice for the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. With the 2020 NFL season just weeks away, it is clear that there is still much more work to be done.

The Dolphins already had a scheduled day off when teams around the league decided to protest Blake's shooting. They will move forward with Friday's practice in preparation for their scrimmage this weekend. However, Flores' comments indicate that he is adamant about making sure that a discussion takes place with his team in order to determine their looming course of action.