Houston Texans owner Bob McNair came to Jerry Richardson’s defense Sunday, saying the Panthers owner could have been joking when he made sexual and racial comments that led to significant financial settlements and ultimately resulted in him selling the team.
“I hope this thing turns out that he’s innocent. They alleged. I don’t know,” McNair said at the NFL annual meetings. “Some of the comments he might have made could have been made jokingly and misunderstood. I’m sure he didn’t mean to offend anybody.”
The league is investigating Richardson for workplace misconduct after an explosive Sports Illustrated article in December detailed four settlements Richardson made with former employees, including a former African-American scout who accused Richardson of using a racial epithet.