Following the death of George Floyd and other instances of police brutality this year, many NFL players are expected to protest during the national anthem this season.
Broncos players organized a march in Denver earlier this offseason. It remains to be seen if the players will demonstrate during the anthem.
“Everyone’s got a right to do as they please, express themselves as they feel,” team president/CEO Joe Ellis said during a Zoom conference call with reporters on July 28. “I’m going to respect that. We’re going to respect that as an organization. I think once we get down to 53, my guess is that the players will meet and convene. They may want to do something as a team.
“I will be there to listen and learn. It’s been an eye-opening period of about three months now. As I said, I’m going to respect — whatever it is that they decide to do, we’re going to stand by that as an organization.”
In 2017, a majority of Broncos players knelt during the anthem before a game against the Bills after President Donald Trump labeled protesting players SOBs. Four days after that game in Buffalo, Denver players announced that they would stand for the anthem going forward.
