I found this piece on Panthers Wire to be very thought provoking and dead on in some ways but I think I add some focus to it as Panthers fan from day 1.
According to Silver, Richardson’s actions caused tension from the start of the talks and forced several owners to apologize to players on his behalf.
This past season, specifically during Week 3 at the very height of the much-publicized protests during the national anthem, Richardson once again displayed an inability to empathize with players.
While players like Cam Newton, Julius Peppers and Thomas Davis found different methods of speaking up, none of the Panthers kneeled or sat on the sidelines during the anthem.