When President Donald Trump blasted protesting NFL players at a campaign rally in Huntsville, Alabama, on Sept. 22, encouraging team owners to fire any "son of a bitch" who "disrespects our flag," the outburst prompted a rare shoulder-to-shoulder display of solidarity by the league's players and owners and even more multifaceted protests at that weekend's games.
But the resulting firestorm focused almost solely on the comments Trump made about the controversial player protests involving the national anthem, and next to nothing about the incendiary attack he made on the NFL's recent efforts to limit head injuries and increase player safety.