Mike Florio calls out NFL for silence after Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade

Last Friday, the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe vs. Wade, a nearly 50-year-old landmark case that gave Americans the federal right to an abortion. The Supreme Court ruling sent the entire world into a frenzy, with supporters overjoyed and detractors overwhelmed.

Several prominent NFL players have also been outspoken about the issue, with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay speaking up about the decision. The NFL has largely remained silent, though. Meanwhile, leagues like the NBA and the WNBA have spoken up.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, found the NFL's silence strange, writing:

"The NFL, which has spent considerable time and money in recent years attracting, developing, and expanding its female fan base, has been strangely silent on the issue."

Florio went on to say that it's not just been a quiet front for the league. It's been entirely silent:

"There has been no statement. No tweet. No expression of support for the employees of teams in the 22 states in which the NFL does business, if those individuals must travel to other states in order to implement an intensely personal and inherently difficult heath-care decision."

The frustration came through Florio's searing words shared in a recent post.

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Why the NFL might have chosen to remain silent on Roe vs. Wade

The league has had a questionable history on social justice issues. When Colin Kaepernick first kneeled in 2016 to protest against police brutality, the league was quiet, and many owners, personalities, and coaches came out against him.

Various players joined Kaepernick, but the league preferred to keep out of it. In 2020, with the help of a social media coordinator, players crafted a powerful video begging the league to make a stand.

Roger Goodell, the league commissioner, finally made a statement and even apologized to Kaepernick. Since then, they've been a bit more vocal on social issues.

When faced with one of the most prominent social issues, the league has fallen silent again. Florio perhaps said it best when he wrote:

"To the 'stick to sports' crowd, know this. The NFL doesn’t stick to sports when it believes its interests require it. The league only sticks to sports when it believes its interests compel silence. In nearly 72 hours since a half century of settled law was crumpled into a ball and tossed aside, the league has chosen to embrace silence. The league, as it always does, has made a P.R. calculation."

That's a damaging statement from one of the league's most prominent media members. The league may eventually respond, but Florio and others will see right through it.