NFL, Players Coalition Agree to Extend Partnership with 5-Year, $15M Deal

The NFL and Players Coalition will continue their partnership and work toward fighting racial and social injustice.

The league announced Thursday that the two sides extended their partnership for five more years and with a $15 million grant.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the decision:

"Combatting social injustice is a continuous process. The NFL Family understands the role we have in shaping and contributing to a more equitable future. The more experience we have doing just that, the stronger our drive is to continue. Through our expanded partnership with the Players Coalition, we are committed to building upon even more impactful opportunities and to investing in leading organizations and individuals at the frontlines of social justice work."

The two sides partnered in 2018 and announced a $250 million commitment to combat systemic racism in 2020, which was the year when protests against injustice were sparked across the world by the police killing of George Floyd.

Thursday's announcement explained the partnership surpassed the $250 million commitment four years ahead of schedule thanks to support for "more than 650 local non-profits, 1,950 player and Legend matching grants, and more than 40 national grant partners."

Jim Trotter of NFL.com noted the Players Coalition, which is an independent nonprofit that works with athletes and coaches across different sports, specifically targeted the areas where it and the NFL worked on the past few years.

Among the accomplishments stemming from the partnership was restoring voting rights for 1.4 million citizens with past felony convictions in Florida and for thousands of citizens in the same situation in Louisiana.

The NFL also announced it is directing national social grants toward education, economic advancement, police and community relations, and criminal justice reform—which it deemed the four pillars of Inspire Change—in addition to its work with the Players Coalition.

"In 2020, after police murdered George Floyd, the entire country weighed in on the fight for racial justice," Players Coalition co-founder and NFL veteran Malcolm Jenkins said in Thursday's announcement. "Sadly, those voices have dwindled, and a lot of 'advocacy' has been reduced to simple messages on Twitter. The work, however, remains just as critical and urgent as before."