Dontari Poe had a plan when he joined the and it had little to do with football.
The free-agent acquisition knew no Cowboys player had previously kneeled during the national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality. He also knew by signing with Dallas, he'd end that streak.
Before the defensive tackle began his demonstration in Week 1, he sat down with team governor and general manager Jerry Jones to explain the importance of the peaceful protest. Poe said Jones was "all positive" during the conversation.
"I had to talk with Jerry, had to talk with teammates, coaches to make sure this didn't take away from our ultimate goal," Poe said Wednesday, per USA Today's Jori Epstein.