Report: 'A Few Prominent' Black NFL Players Want to Sit Out a Game in Protest

Following recent player protests in various sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, MLS, MLB and NHL, multiple NFL players are reportedly considering sitting out a game when the regular season begins.

Per NFL.com's Jim Trotter, "a few prominent Black players" told him that "they want to sit out a game to make their feelings felt and force change/action."

Trotter described the players who are considering sitting out as "tired, frustrated and emotional."

New York Giants players Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard told reporters Thursday there is a possibility they could sit out a game during the season in protest of social injustice. 

"I can't really just go and speak on behalf of the whole league, but, for us, that is something that we're going to talk about within our [social justice] groups, within our team," Barkley said. "What's talked about in players meetings stays in players meetings."

Shepard said it's "something that we're going to talk about as a team" before he makes an official comment about the situation. 

The Giants are scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. 

Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, appeared Thursday on ESPN Radio's Keyshawn, JWill and Zubin show (h/t ESPN's Dan Graziano) to say the NFL is "not living in reality" if it wasn't expecting its players to stage some sort of strike like the NBA and WNBA players did. 

The Detroit Lions canceled Tuesday's practice to speak out against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Nine other teams canceled their practices Thursday in protest of Blake's shooting. 

The 2020 NFL regular season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10 as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium.