With each passing week, more social issues continue to arise in the United States that are significantly impacting the Black community. That has seen many external pushes from the sports world to incite social justice. Following the nearly-fatal shooting of Jacob Blake, it has led to an even stronger outcry for change. With that in mind, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is the latest to air his strong emotions regarding these issues.

Social issues are continuing to arise

Over the last few months, there has been a significant uptick in the push for social change in the United States.

It’s driven by the increase in the publicity of the ongoing social issues that the Black community continues to face. The latest incident saw 29-year-old Jacob Blake shot seven times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin last weekend. The video of the situation emerged earlier this week, which has led to plenty of strong reactions around the sports world.

That saw NBA players nearly decide to end their playoffs due to the emotional toll from the latest incident. That has now reached the NFL as many different figures in the league have voiced a desire for societal change.

Mike McCarthy says social change is needed

The nearly-fatal shooting of Jacob Blake has hit home for many across the sports world.

That is also the case for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as he spent nearly 13 years as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy has plenty of personal connections in the area, which has led him to voice that change must occur to stop incidents like this from happening, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

“It’s definitely difficult, Kenosha, Wisconsin is obviously south of Milwaukee and [I’ve] spent a lot of time on the phone the last couple of evenings,” McCarthy said. “It’s definitely concerning. Having friends and family back there. These times are unprecedented. Things need to change. I grew up in a home of public safety but I mean I just don’t understand why it keeps happening and I think I’m like everyone else. I don’t have the answers but things need to change.”

There is an unbreakable connection to the state of Wisconsin for McCarthy that led him to decide to cancel the Cowboys’ practice on Thursday. He also voiced that it’s hard to talk football, given what continues to happen in the United States. There are apparent strong emotions that McCarthy feels about the situation and social injustice as an entirety.

That could quickly set the table for the NFL to put forth actions to help address the racial injustices that the Black community is facing daily.

Will the NFL take more action?

It remains a fluid situation for the NFL. Still, it has seen several teams aside from the Cowboy, such as the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and the Washington Football Team, cancel their practices scheduled for Thursday.

The NFL recently stepped up their efforts to help support the push for social change. That saw the players force the league’s hand to commit to $250 million over the next 10 years to help end systemic racism. It’s a strong start to aid that effort, but it could see much more done. The NFL possesses tremendous influence as arguably the most popular sport in the United States.

It should likely see commissioner Roger Goodell operate with an open ear to what the league can do to help the situation further. The NFL has predominantly Black players, which should only increasingly fuel their internal desire to aid the effort in creating much-needed social change. Ultimately, there will be more clarity on this front in the coming days.