Eagles' Rodney McLeod Says NFL Owners Can Show Better Support for BLM Movement

Philadelphia Eagles safety Rodney McLeod would like the NFL to follow in the NBA's footsteps when it comes to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

"The NBA, I think they had a tight organization and you saw that and you still see it," McLeod said, per Tim McManus of ESPN. "I think that's the most upsetting part. Not saying that we haven't done anything, I would just like to see more be done."

McManus explained the NFL has taken some steps, such as pledging more than $250 million over 10 years to social justice causes, writing phrases such as "End Racism" in the end zone and playing "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," which is known as the Black national anthem, before games.

However, McLeod said the NBA's messaging has been clearer and more consistent:

"From start to finish ... I don't think [the NBA] ever lost sight of the players' mission at hand and what they wanted to focus on, from the shirts to commercials being ran to the courts [reading] 'Black Lives Matter,' it's in your face and it's hard to miss. That's where I think I'm coming from—let's always have it on people's minds that, 'Hey, this game is important, we love it, but at the end of the day we're human beings and we've chosen to fight this fight.' And the league, you've stepped up and spoke out on it and you decided that you would like to stand alongside us, so let's make it happen."

The NBA managed to put its season on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, organize a restart in a bubble-like environment at Walt Disney World Resort, finish the regular season and play an entire playoffs through Game 4 of the NBA Finals all while making sure its players could use their platforms to fight against systemic racism and police brutality.

From writing Black Lives Matter on the court to players advocating for justice for Breonna Taylor and others in postgame press conferences, the fight for social justice has remained in the spotlight throughout the NBA's restart.

"I'm not sure if I've seen the same from other owners and it's sad and disheartening to see and I'm sure other players around the league feel the same," McLeod said.

The biggest moment in the NBA came when the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to play a postseason game against the Orlando Magic in the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

That set off a domino effect where other playoff games, as well as contests in other sports, were postponed. 

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association also announced they were working together on a number of initiatives with a social justice coalition. Part of that was using some NBA arenas as voting locations during the 2020 election.