Cardinals give players day off for George Floyd memorial

The Arizona Cardinals are in the middle of their voluntary virtual offseason right now. But the team was given the day off on Thursday so players could honor George Floyd, who was killed in police custody on May 25 after his neck was kneeled on for more than eight minutes.

His death sparked nationwide protests.

Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake shared the news on social media.

Cardinals have granted us the day off from meetings to honor George Floyd’s memorial. We are but a small cog in a big machine but gestures like these create dialogue and expands the vision to help take the next steps for a better tomorrow. Peace and love

— Kenyan Drake™ (@KDx32) June 4, 2020

The Cardinals were not the only team to give players the day off. The Minnesota Vikings also did.

The first of three services scheduled for Floyd will take place Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis. It was available to watch via live stream.

It was a small gesture by the team but it sends the right message to players that some things are more important than football meetings.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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