Two NFLs: The Protesters and the Lower Paid

A recent study found that NFL players who have engaged in kneeling protests during the national anthem are some of the league’s highest paid players. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that players who protested on average earned $3 million more than their non-protesting teammates. The study noted that players who were selected in the earliest rounds of the draft — those most likely to earn higher salaries — were also three times more likely than other players to be engaged in protest. Of all 2,197 NFL players, the study found that 317 protested the national anthem before at least one game during the 2017 season.

University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven, who was reportedly astonished by the findings, noted, “The idea in popular culture we talk about is there are two Americas — the rich and the poor. This shows there are two NFLs.” Niven continued, “Players who were protesting inequality in society were doing that from a position of being on top of the NFL’s inequality.”

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