Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that he wants his team to be "a part of change" during a Friday radio interview that followed a Thursday that saw nine teams cancel practice or football activities to raise awareness to issues on social justice and police brutality.
"I really want to say how our hearts as an organization, individuals in the organization, how our hearts go out to the individuals and the family members who have been affected by these times, these disheartening times that we've all seen on television," Jones said. "And I want our team to be a part of change. The dramatic change isn't going to happen overnight, but I want our organization and our players to play a part in the movement of making this a better place in this country. I feel confident that our players have a can-do and what-can-I-do participation in it. I want what the Cowboys to help make this a better place."
The Cowboys practiced Thursday and Friday, and coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that the team had an "open forum" at its Thursday afternoon meeting to make sure "everyone has the opportunity to be heard. I feel like we had a very good dialogue going on."
Jones was not a part of Thursday's meeting, per McCarthy, because he was out of town. McCarthy did say Jones would be "involved in the near future, and I know the players are looking forward to the interaction," per The Athletic.
In a separate radio interview earlier this week, Jones said that he wants to find a compromise with his players regarding protests during the national anthem this season and would prefer to implement a policy in which the team kneels before but not during the playing of the national anthem.
