Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the latest NFL player to speak out against racism in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
“My eyes have been opened to the privilege I’ve lived with my whole life just because of the color of my skin,” Tannehill said, via Buck Reising of AtoZSports. “The situations my friends, my teammates, guys I love, that they’ve been put in throughout their life purely because of the color of their skin. Things they have to deal with, which no man, people should have to deal with.”
Tannehill credits his former Miami Dolphins teammate, wide receiver Kenny Stills, for educating him:
“When this first came around in 2016, I was on a team with Kenny Stills who was able to educate me about a lot of it,” said Tannehill. “I’m really thankful for a lot of the conversations that we’ve had along the way.”
Of course, 2016 was a critical year for the NFL in terms of social activism, as then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made the decision to kneel during the national anthem before games to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Kaepernick's protest caused a stir, as many disagreed with the quarterback's method. However, some players followed suit, also making the decision to kneel during the national anthem.
Article Continues BelowThe signal-caller has not played an NFL game since that season, and the general consensus has long been that he was blackballed by the league.
Lately, though, many who opposed Kaepernick's protest four years ago are beginning to soften their stance.
“There’s so many layers to it, and this push is like the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Tannehill said of the killing of Floyd. “It’s been happening far too long, and enough is enough.”
The Titans made it to the AFC Championship Game this past season.