We fought for this as a team, and as long as some of us are in this locker room, it will remain a brotherhood: a political statement of a different way for a team to operate, and a break from the NFL macho “shut up and play” code of self-destruction. This team has taught me that sports don’t have to be toxic. They can be a force for good. What makes sports toxic so often is the greater society, which puts people on pedestals and lets people—from star athletes to Hollywood executives to presidents—get away with toxic behavior.
