The NFL plans to have the words "End racism" and "It takes all of us" stenciled in the end zones this season, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday.
“The NFL stands with the black community, the players, clubs and fans confronting systemic racism. We will not relent in our work,” Goodell said on a conference call, according to NFL.com and Pro Football Talk.
It's the latest move by a pro sports league to bring awareness of systemic racism following the death of George Floyd on May 25.
The NBA and WNBA added the words "Black Lives Matter" on their courts. Players have worn warm-up shirts with the same words and other messages to bring attention to racism. Some players have added similar messages on their jerseys or the names of people who were violently killed.
NFL Executive Vice President Troy Vincent also reportedly said players will have the right to boycott Week 1 in protest.
Floyd, a Black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd repeatedly said "I can't breathe," as seen on a bystander video. That officer and three others were fired and are now charged in Floyd's death.
In separate news, Vincent said Tuesday that the league is finalizing plans to pump in crowd noise at games, according to ESPN. That includes setting a maximum decibel level.
Only five teams have committed to having fans in Week 1 but at reduced capacity. They will also reportedly be allowed to add artificial crowd noise.
