Bears coach Matt Nagy was optimistic about race relations within his locker room after a powerful two-hour videoconference with players this week, and his hope is that any demonstration will be unified.
He did not say whether he will support individual players protesting at games, including during the national anthem, if there is not a unanimous decision by his players.
“I try not to think that way,” Nagy said. “I just don’t see that. We have some really, really special leaders on this team. Everybody has their own opinion, and that’s OK.
“I’ll look for advice from the players. That’s what’s most important. As long as people feel comfortable, there might be times that people agree to disagree. The national anthem... We’ll talk through that. I just have ultimate confidence in our players leading that I believe in them.”
Nagy did not directly express an opinion in favor of or against kneeling or otherwise demonstrating.
“I know that’s a big discussion,” he said. “Whatever we end up doing together, it would be that [together].
“What the players want to do, we’ll do. We’re gonna listen. We’ll talk through it. Then whatever we all decide to do, or they decide to do, we’ll do that. I know that we’ll do it together.”
