Quinn says he'll support Falcons players if they choose to protest

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn threw his support behind his players should they choose to protest during the 2020 NFL season.

"If and when the players choose to protest ... in whatever way they choose, hell yeah, I'll support them," Quinn told reporters Monday, via ESPN's Vaughn McClure. "And I'll be with them, in whatever they choose to do."

George Floyd's death in May, along with the police killings of Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade, helped spark worldwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality. A number of NFL players have said they intend to demonstrate during the national anthem after Colin Kaepernick originally did so in 2016, leading a movement that dominated conversation around the league for two seasons.

After widespread criticism of the NFL's initial public statement about Floyd's death and the protests, which did not mention race, commissioner Roger Goodell released a stronger message earlier in June, acknowledging systemic anti-black racism and saying "Black Lives Matter." A handful of teams followed suit. Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said last week that he intends to kneel alongside his players during the national anthem.