The Players’ Coalition, a group formed by Colin Kaepernick, urged Americans to vote in Tuesday’s midterm elections like “our lives depended on it.”  The statement was signed not only by Kaepernick but also by Josh Norman, Chris Long, Kelvin Beachum, and Matt Forte. While the group doesn’t endorse any candidates or parties, they have been critical of President Donald Trump and Republican policies and tactics.

NFL Owners Make Big Midterm Donations

According to opensecrets.org, NFL owners consistently donated to Republican owners. Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, donated to 16 Republican candidates and PACs. Texans owner Bob McNair donated $1 million to a Super PAC designed exclusively to maintain a Republican majority in Congress. He also donated $101.7 thousand to the Republican National Committee eight times. His list of 2018 donations, all Republican, was long. Only Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross donated consistently to Democratic candidates this year.

But what was more common was not contributing at all. In total, 63 owners, GMs and head coaches made no contributions at all this year. The 49ers, Rams, Saints, Panthers, Packers, Colts, Bengals, Ravens and Jets had none of those three make any contributions.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

But that’s not to say they’re apolitical. For example, Jed York, owner of the 49ers, and John Lynch have both made contributions to Republicans in the past. Just because they didn’t contribute this year doesn’t mean they don’t care about politics.

What party does your team’s personnel tend to favor?

Republicans: 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers, Lions, Bears, Redskins, Giants, Cowboys, Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Titans, Texans.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross suggested that NFL players and owners participate in a “march on Washington” during a meeting in October about the league-wide national anthem protests, according to a New York Times report from Wednesday.

Dolphins Owner Suggested NFL March On Washington

Per the Times, the three-hour summit did not yield many substantial solutions on how best to protest the anthem, a move started by free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick in August 2016 as a way of making a statement about racial injustice and police brutality against minorities in the United States. Kaepernick’s protest quickly became replicated by dozens of athletes both within and outside the NFL who began kneeling, sitting or linking arms. After a wave of such protests early in the 2017 NFL season, several prominent politicians including President Donald Trump excoriated players for engaging in the protests, saying they were disrespectful to the anthem, flag and military.

Trump even threatened to issue fines and other penalties to teams who continued to protest “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and said that if he was an NFL coach or owner, he would fire any player who did so.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

According to the Times, the meeting was not particularly productive because most players wanted to discuss why Kaepernick was still unofficially banned from the league, while owners were more interested in talking about the best ways to keep their franchises alive after the series of controversial protests. Kaepernick just received a prestigious award from Amnesty International for his efforts to promote human rights.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly attended the meeting and asked everyone present that the summit stay confidential.

During the meeting, players and owners also reportedly discussed the need for the league to include more influential spokespeople.

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

The NFL also released the following joint statement from players and owners, shared by the Times:

“Today owners and players had a productive meeting focused on how we can work together to promote positive social change and address inequality in our communities. NFL executives and owners joined NFLPA executives and player leaders to review and discuss plans to utilize our platform to promote equality and effectuate positive change. We agreed that these are common issues and pledged to meet again to continue this work together.”

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft surprised scores of NFL fans Monday by stating that Tom Brady, who will be 40 in August, plans to play in the league for another six or seven years.

Skip Bayless Reacts to Robert Kraft’s Announcement about Tom Brady

“As recently as two, three days ago he assured me he’d be willing to play six, seven more years,” Kraft said of Brady. “And at the level he performed, there’s no one that would be happier than I, and our fan-base.

“I think Tommy’s sustained excellence is just unbelievable, and it’s a lifestyle. He’s in training now, it’s not like he’s stopped.”

The quarterback, who helped lead the Patriots to a 34-28 Super Bowl LI comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons in overtime in Houston in February, has won five national titles in his NFL career, something which led many fans to call him the “G.O.AT.” (Greatest of All Time) after the 2017 Super Bowl victory. Most fans expected him to play pro football for one or two more seasons, maximum.

If Brady played seven more seasons, he would retire at age 46, which would make him the oldest-retired QB in NFL history:

Kraft also cited former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre as an example of a QB who retired with at least one good season late in his career.

“When you think about it, there’s one player at the age of 40 who had one good year: Favre.”

On Tuesday’s episode of ‘Undisputed,’ Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe discussed Brady’s plan to keep playing in the NFL for several more years, and Bayless explained why he believed the QB’s plan isn’t completely crazy, citing how different he is from other passers in the league. After hearing his argument about how difficult it is to root against him because of his uniqueness, Sharpe seemed to agree with Bayless, and mentioned Brady’s particularly strict diet, which is limited to organic and gluten-free foods, whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and millet, and lean meats like organic steak, duck, chicken and wild salmon. Brady’s diet, which he shares with supermodel wife Giselle Bundchen, also excludes white sugar, white flour, caffeine and dairy. The couple’s training regimen is “80 percent vegetables,” according to their personal chef Allen Campbell. 

“If Tom Brady says six or seven, I’m going to bet on seven,” said Bayless. “This is the one guy you don’t bet against. You know what, Tom Brady is unlike any quarterback I have ever followed or covered. He is shattering every mold of how a franchise quarterback should be on and off the field. He’s just different. He is completely different in every area of his life than any quarterback I’ve ever been around, and I don’t know, maybe you could correct me on this.”

Shannon Sharpe: “No, I think his nutrition, his training regimen, and the way he takes care of himself …”

Skip Bayless: “Just the way he handles himself. The way he carries himself. … He’s saying that he not only wants to just build the greatest ever legacy, he wants to build the greatest, longest legacy — and I’m just not going to be against him, because the fire still appears to be burning in him.”

Bayless then added: “He eats to win.”

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross also commented on Brady’s plan: “Good luck,” Ross said. “I love Tom Brady. He’s a Michigan guy. It’s OK. I don’t worry about them. We have to worry about my team.”

Ross continued to praise Brady, but added he wants to focus on strengthening his team.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)