NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is being accused of hypocrisy and insincerity in his response to the death of George Floyd and the protests that have followed.

Goodell in a statement Saturday said the league was "greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country." But critics pointed to the league's handling of Colin Kaepernick and his protest against police brutality in 2016, saying the NFL had deliberately stifled him.

"Colin Kaepernick asked the NFL to care about the lives of black people, and they banned him from their platform." Michael Shawn-Dugar, a writer for The Athletic, said on Twitter.