Report: NFL may allow helmet decals honoring victims of police violence

The NFL will likely allow its players to wear helmet decals bearing the names or initials of victims of systemic racism and police violence, sources told Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.

The league is reportedly working with the NFL Players Association to compile a list of approved names - which players will provide - before the start of the regular season.

Tributes will likely be limited to helmet decals and will not appear on team jerseys, McCarthy reports.

Decals will not be mandatory, NFL Network's Steve Wyche told McCarthy. Players from a single team could hypothetically sport different names or initials during games. The decals could reportedly include tributes to police officers killed in the line of duty.

"They're still in discussions. But this sounds like it's going to happen," Wyche said, according to McCarthy.

If approved, the reported plan would follow a trend set by other pro sports leagues. The NBA will allow players to replace names on the backs of jerseys with messages about racial and social injustice when it resumes its season in Orlando; MLB could also incorporate social justice elements into its 2020 campaign.