Seahawks players speak out on George Floyd’s killing, racism, and ongoing protests

(Editor’s Note: We usually have a firm “no politics” rule in the comments section. We are going to ease this rule up but only because this article itself has politics involved. If this becomes partisan mudslinging or just trashing specific politicians — whether warranted or not — then that’s a no-go.)

Last week’s killing of George Floyd by (the since fired and criminally charged) Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has sparked ongoing calls for justice, protests, rioting, vandalism, and looting across the United States. This particular death has led to international outcry and demonsrations, as yet another unarmed black man has succumbed to police brutality, and once again it’s on video for the world to see.

Over the past few days, several former and current Seattle Seahawks players have released statements or voiced their opinions on camera regarding everything from racism, racial injustice, police brutality, rebuking statements made by President Trump, and of course the protests. In the case of Bobby Wagner, he was actually at the Seattle protests on Saturday and had some more to say in Monday’s video press conference.

Russell Wilson

Duane Brown

Tyler Lockett

Bobby Wagner

Quandre Diggs

DK Metcalf

Jamarco Jones

Bruce Irvin

Doug Baldwin

Richard Sherman

On Monday, the Seattle Seahawks released a statement addressing not just Floyd’s death, but the Louisville police fatally shooting of Breonna Taylor, as well as the filmed murder of unarmed black jogger Ahmaud Arbery by two white men in Georgia, who suspected him of burglary in their neighborhood. They also announced a donation of $500,000 from the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice for All Action Fund.

The full statement is as follows:

The Seahawks family is dismayed by the unacceptable act of violence that occurred against George Floyd last week in Minneapolis and grieve that loss, along with countless others in a similar manner, including most recently Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Our heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, and every other family that has had to endure the pain from similar atrocities. These biased actions are systemic and have plagued our society for generations and have culminated to the current state of unrest we are experiencing.

The Seahawks are guided by overall principles of acceptance and understanding that help us create a culture of respect, equality and inclusiveness both on and off the field. We, as an organization and as individuals, represent and respect a wide range of human differences, personal experiences and cultural backgrounds. We stand with Seattle, and every community in uniting to help heal our society and overcome the hurt, anger and frustration through peaceful protests and acts of togetherness. With that, to further aid in the solution the Seahawks players will begin the process of determining recipients for grants from the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice for All Action Fund in the amount of $500k. We hope to advance conversations related to reformation in our nation’s current policies regarding hiring and training within law enforcement, judiciary protections and accountability, and for advanced education related to the history of race in America.

Please be safe everyone, no matter where you are in the world right now, but especially to those who live throughout the United States as we now have the convergence of large-scale civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.