(Credit: screenshot and Getty Images)

Apparently, nationwide protests, the online thrashing of one of its premiere white quarterbacks, and the recently released clip from some of its marquee players— including biracial Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — has led to a change of heart for the NFL.

Without Black players, there would be no National Football League and the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of Black players, coaches, fans and staff.

This would appear to be a direct response to the video that was released by a number of NFL players including Mahomes, New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver Micheal Thomas, Cleveland Browns’ Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and others widely viewed as some of the top stars of the future in the league.

They asked for the NFL as a league to say exactly what Goodell said in the video.

This also followed the controversial comments of Saints quarterback Drew Brees who equated NFL anthem protests to ‘disrespecting the flag.