Stifling Workplace Activism: The Consequences of Anthem Protests for NFL Players

Abstract

Objective: Tracking the future contract status of NFL players affords a rare opportunity to test whether there were repercussions for participating in the 2017 national anthem protest and whether more vulnerable players were right to be wary of the owners’ wrath. Methods: A sample of NFL players with comparable performance is used to compare how protesters and nonprotesters were treated in their next contract. Results: Data reveal distinct differences in treatment between NFL players who protested and those who did not. In short, protesters were more likely to take a pay cut, see their salaries grow at a lower rate, and were more likely to be sent to another team. Conclusion: The results suggest the need for critics to acknowledge the real career consequences athletes can face for political activism. Moreover, if NFL players—who work in the public eye, hold proven track records of accomplishment, and compete in a market that prides itself on analytic efficiency—can be punished by their employers for political activism, it suggests the truly profound vulnerability of everyday workers who labor without those advantages.