Chiefs, Texans open NFL season with nod toward social justice

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Football League opened its 101st season Thursday night, with members of the host Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans making their own statements meant to bring awareness to social justice issues.

The Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champions, lined up at the goal line at Arrowhead Stadium 30 minutes before kickoff while video screens played Alicia Keys singing “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing." Keyes sang while the words “It Takes All of Us” were featured on the screen.

The coordinated show was meant to bring awareness to movements such as Black Lives Matter and other causes.

The Chiefs stood on their sideline during the playing of the national anthem, which was streamed on the video screens and featured R&B singers Chloe X Halle, according to The Associated Press. The Texans, meanwhile, remained in their locker room until “The Star-Spangled Banner” had concluded.

Texans executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby said the team decided to stay in the locker room for both songs so there would be “no misinterpretation of them celebrating one song and throwing shade on the other,” ESPN reported.

According to ESPN, Easterby told NBC that the demonstration was “not about black or white, it’s about change.”

The two teams met at midfield to shake hands and then locked arms as they lined up from end zone to end zone for a moment of silence in a display of solidarity.

Some fans in the Arrowhead Stadium crowd, limited to 17,000 fans due to the coronavirus pandemic, booed as the players lined up, The Kansas City Star reported. That amounted to 22% of the stadium’s capacity, ESPN reported. Fans were scattered throughout the stadium’s three decks, while the first eight rows of the lower deck were covered by a tarp.

The Chiefs defeated the Texans 34-20 as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes.

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