Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t one to shy away from the spotlight. He does weekly radio hits during the season, makes himself available for press scrums during the season, and isn’t afraid to publicly discuss contract or collective bargaining negotiations.
While protests and calls for changes to upend systemic racism in the United States have spread into the sports world, Jones has remained mum on the issue.
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman is also not one to shy away from the spotlight. He’s been outspoken in interviews and on social media throughout the 2020 protests, and he told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle that Jones’ silence along with a slew of other owners hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Because if it was, then they’d speak,” Sherman said when discussing whether the loud messages from players, which caused NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to issue an apology for the league’s handling of societal race issues, were reaching team owners. “Jerry Jones, especially, has no problem speaking up any other time about anything else. But when it’s such a serious issue, and he could really make a huge impact on it with a few words, his silence speaks volumes.”
Dallas released a video on social media calling for more conversations about social injustice a few days after the protests started. Jones has not individually released a statement.
49ers CEO Jed York issued a statement shortly after citizens took to the streets to protest, and donated $1 million to charities dedicated to fighting racism and social inequality. Sherman said the team from top to bottom has taken steps to affect changes beyond the monetary donation.
“A lot has been made about them throwing money at the issue,” Sherman said Wednesday in a video conference with local reporters. “But I think there’s a lot more at the foundational level that has been done by not only our coaching staff but our players, our front office, our ownership, to really make a difference and make a change in this world.”
While the NFL world awaits the return of players to facilities to begin in-person offseason programs, it’s hard to imagine the calls for social change from players are going to suddenly stop when football starts. Colin Kaepernick’s initial protest of police brutality and systemic racism wound up dominating the NFL news cycle for an entire season. Now we may see even more widespread protesting, and at some point team owners will have to say something, because according to Sherman, their silence is currently speaking for them.