CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule said he met with some of the leaders on the team before Wednesday night's practice at Bank of America Stadium.
The practice would be streamed live on the team's website, and was a big showcase for fans at home.
But just hours after several NBA teams walked out of playoff games in protest, the Panthers had mixed feelings about practice.
"They wanted to be in support of the NBA and social justice," Rhule said, "and I think at the end of the day they wanted to do something impactful, take some time and do something besides missing a Wednesday night practice."
Rhule said members of the team are planning something for the future, and he supports them.
Panthers linebacker Tahir Whitehead said it was hard to focus on football, especially as a father of four sons.
"Honestly it's been keeping me up at night," he said. "Wondering how would they feel to experience such a thing. People need to be held accountable."