Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Terrell Owens: NFL players have 'slave-type mentality' due to power dynamics with team owners

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated 12/16/23

Former Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver Terrell Owens made strong comments this week about NFL players' relationships with team owners. He doesn’t think players have enough power in the current setup.

Owens was a guest on "The Jason Lee Show" Wednesday. Owens didn’t shy away from divisive comments during his appearance. He talked about race several times, including race being a factor in former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick no longer playing.

Lee asked the Hall of Fame wide receiver why the NFL doesn’t have a Black majority owner. After all, the majority of the athletes who play in the NFL are Black.

Owens said the NFL operated “like a good ol’ boys league” because of its voting system. Owners must vote to approve a prospective buyer before that person/group can officially purchase a team. According to Owens, because the majority of NFL owners are white, their new inductees fit the status quo.

Owens said that imbalance in the structure of the league causes players to have a “slave-type mentality” when they join a team:

“You look at the dynamics of that, that slave-type mentality, and I think over the years we’ve had several conversations,” Owens said. “I know I have with a lot of the guys who play in the league.

"Honestly, these owners, the way it’s set up. They honestly have these players thinking that we need them versus the players really understanding the power that they have.”

Owens didn’t use those words lightly. It’s an important discussion for the NFL to have in a league where most players are one race, but the people in power and signing paychecks are another.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: