CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule on Wednesday made it clear that his players should not be concerned about the consequences of participating in protests or expressing their opinion on social injustice as they were in 2017 under former owner Jerry Richardson.
"I want to have a team full of men who know their purpose in life is not just to play football,'' Rhule said during a 45-minute Zoom conference call that included a five-minute opening statement on what has happened in the country since George Floyd, a black man, was killed last week in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.