'Football is a game. What we're talking about is real life.' Bears players discuss why they chose to protest Thursday after the police shooting of Jacob Blake

Danny Trevathan has heard from the detractors, the ones that say Chicago Bears players should be spending their time focusing on preparing for the Detroit Lions and nothing else.

Of course, the Bears are thinking about their Sept. 13 opener, Trevathan said. But the Bears inside linebacker said the discussion about fighting against police brutality and racism is too important to ignore. That’s why he and his teammates decided to cancel practice Thursday as part of nationwide sports protests over the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake.

A police officer shot Blake seven times in the back as he was trying to enter his car in front of his children. He survived but reportedly is paralyzed from the waist down.

“We know that football is our job,” Trevathan said. “A lot of people tell us to shut up and play football. But you know, we are people who have families and kids that can be affected by this. So I think it’s important that we use our platform to speak up about it. You never know when the situation will turn and it will happen to one of us.”