The NFL's actions must be louder than its words after players' Black Lives Matter video

The NFL responded to a video of players calling for change.

A group of NFL players — many of them some of the biggest stars — put together an incredible video released on Thursday night in which they called for the league to say, among other things, that it “condemn(s) racism and systematic oppression” and that the NFL believes Black Lives Matter.

The league <a href=" It's one box checked with the declaration that Black Lives Matter. But as free-agent safety Eric Reid -- who knelt with Colin Kaepernick when they were 49ers teammates — said on Twitter, it’s far from enough:

Let’s go back to what the players in the video called for.

There are no words condemning racism and systematic oppression. No admitting of silencing Kaepernick and so many others who protested peacefully. The players challenged the league with the words they wanted to hear, and the NFL failed to say them.

It speaks volumes. Like with many of these statements from leagues, franchises and players who say they must “do better,” as we all hopefully learned in grade school, the actions must speak louder than the words.

If, as Reid says, the league isn’t going to repair its past actions, will the NFL do more going forward?

I keep thinking of the moment when NFL games are back in action and players could protest — as you saw in the video above, they asserted that right. How will owners respond? How will the league as a whole?

“We know that we can and need to do more,” the NFL stated in its Instagram post.

The words were not enough. The actions must be.