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Amidst the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, Vic Fangio, head coach for the Denver Broncos, said on Tuesday that he doesn’t believe racism poses a problem in NFL.

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League of Meritocracy

The 61-year-old connected with reporters over Zoom when he said, “We’re a league of meritocracy. You get what you earn.” He even said that “if society reflected an NFL team, we’d all be great.” The NFL has a lot of diversity among players, with minorities making up 72.6 percent of the league as of 2016, per The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. However, this doesn’t suggest that racism isn’t inherent in the League. There has been criticism about the lack of people of color in coaching and leadership positions.

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The NFL has sidelined players in the past for standing up against injustice plaguing society. For instance, Colin Kaepernick, who protested against police brutality and oppression – the main focus of the current protests – hasn’t played since 2017 despite his talent.

Denver Broncos React to the Incident

George Floyd succumbed to death after a police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Chauvin is now facing charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.“I was shocked, sad, and angry when I saw what the policeman [did] to a handcuffed George Floyd on his stomach that led to his death“, Fangio said about the incident. “It’s a societal issue that we all have to join in to correct“.

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Fangio, who supports the modified Rooney Rule addressing racial disparities in hiring and coaching, has encouraged his players to protest and is said to speak with them about the issue later this week. Denver Broncos CEO Joe Ellis discussed with the players how the team could together work on social justice initiatives.

Vic Fangio will begin his second year as head coach for the Broncos this season. He has had an extensive career in football, having worked with five organizations over 19 seasons.