Marcus Smith II is among several former and active NFL players who are hoping to break the stigma around mental health.

New Orleans Saints two-time All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas says he won’t play this season because of complications related to ankle surgery last summer.

Every week for the past two seasons, NFL players take the field wearing social justice messages on their helmets.

Saints veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson is retiring despite being a candidate for a starting job.

Jacoby Brissett has experienced everything in the NFL from starting to playing behind Tom Brady, Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers.

The NBA painted “Black Lives Matter” on the courts inside their Orlando, Florida, “bubble" and social justice messages were emblazoned on the backs of jerseys. Paul met with NBA players, and they decided awareness wasn’t enough anymore. “Black Lives Matter” also was featured prominently on the league’s courts. Wallace, the only full-time Black driver at the NASCAR national level, first began speaking out against racial injustice in America in the spring. His car featured a “Black Lives Matter” paint scheme.

But he also was intercepted twice in Saints territory, once by safety Malcolm Jenkins and once by cornerback Patrick Robinson. The first occurred in the second quarter when the ball glanced off the shoulder of Ken Webster, who was trying to block on the play but ventured too close to where the punt bounced. Saints: In addition to Brees, receiver Tre'Quan Smith appeared to be briefly knocked unconscious on a hit by Ward while trying to make a catch over the middle in the second quarter. Tight end Josh Hill also left the game with a concussion in the second half. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore left with an oblique injury, but could be seen standing on the sideline without his helmet in the second half, urging on teammates and even dancing at times.

Brees was 26 of 32 passing, including first-half TD throws of 14 yards to Tre’Quan Smith, 8 yards to Adam Trautman and 12 yards to Sanders, who missed the previous two games while on the COVID-19 list. Brees regained the league career TD pass lead with 654, three more than the 43-year-old Brady, who had thrown for 17 touchdowns and just one interception over his previous six games. The Saints intercepted Brady twice in a 34-23 season-opening win, with Janoris Jenkins returning one for a TD. Jared Cook fumbled at the Bucs 2 with the Saints looking to build on an early 7-0 lead. The Saints outgained the Bucs 241 yards to 36 up to that point.

Malcolm Jenkins is passionate about many subjects, including mental health awareness. Going to weekly therapy helps him cope with stress and he wants young men to know it’s not a weakness. Jenkins, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Saints and Eagles, spent time Tuesday with students in New Orleans talking about the importance of mental health and psychological effects of racism. “We’re using the film `Black Boys' to really create some more dialogue among Black boys and be able to create spaces where they can feel comfortable in their own skin,” Jenkins said. In the third quarter of that game, Jenkins wasn’t on the field for a third-and-1 play that the Chargers converted.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) is tackled by New Orleans Saints strong safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) and cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

ABC, NBC and Fox were all down from last year, too. Technically, CBS was actually the fifth-place network last week, with Fox News Channel reaching more viewers in prime time. NBC led the season-opening week, averaging 5.5 million viewers in prime time. Fox had 3.9 million, ABC had 3.8 million, CBS had 2.7 million, Univision had 1.14 million, Ion Television had 1.11 million, Telemundo had 1 million and the CW had 570,000. NFL Football: Miami at Jacksonville, NFL Network, 5.43 million.

(AP Photo/Brett Duke)NEW ORLEANS – Tom Brady was intercepted twice in his Tampa Bay debut, Alvin Kamara scored touchdowns running and receiving, and the New Orleans Saints beat the Buccaneers 34-23 on Sunday. Neither quarterback was statistically exceptional in this first-ever NFL game featuring two quarterbacks in their 40s. One exception was Saints safety and Players Coalition co-founder Malcolm Jenkins, who trotted to the Saints bench area after the anthem had finished. The Saints were flagged four times for 101 yards, with all of those calls occurring during the Bucs' first three scoring drives. Saints: Take part in the first NFL game played in Las Vegas, the Raiders' home opener on Monday night, Sept. 21.

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2018, file photo, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) holds his hand to his heart during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in New Orleans. The 41-year-old Brees, who is the NFL's all-time leader in yards passing, completions and touchdowns, is entering his 20th NFL season and 15th with the New Orleans Saints. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)NEW ORLEANS Saints quarterback Drew Brees says he'll remain standing for The Star Spangled Banner, but professed respect and support for those who protest racism and social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem. Brees faced a scathing backlash from several current and former Black teammates and other high-profile athletes such as LeBron James. Weve applied a lot of different techniques and a lot of training methods, Brees said.

NEW ORLEANS Saints coach Sean Payton prefers not to use the term training camp to describe how hes trying to prepare his club for this pandemic-altered NFL season. So, were going to approach it differently, Payton said Wednesday, noting that one big change would be more scrimmaging and other live scenarios during practices. You have to, at some point, play football if youre getting ready to play a football game.The Saints have a history of finding undrafted rookie free agents who become regular contributors. The Saints went 13-3 that season and set an NFL record for offensive yards in a season with 7,474. Players wont be in pads until Aug. 17, Payton said, but added, well be in full pads every day that were allowed.

Perhaps the biggest headlines Brady drew recently came when he defied players' union recommendations to cease informal practices with teammates as a coronavirus precaution. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)In seven weeks, the NFL expects to kick off its 101st season with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs hosting Houston. Still set on conducting a somewhat normal training camp, though without any preseason games, and then opening the regular season on time, the NFL pushes onward. We could have a ton of social distance, more than we have with our football team, Chiefs coach Andy Reid says. Perhaps the biggest headlines Brady drew recently came when he defied players' union recommendations to cease informal practices with teammates as a coronavirus precaution.

NFLPA president JC Tretter warned players they have to "fight for necessary COVID-19 protections" and Malcolm Jenkins said "football is nonessential." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, FIle)Some NFL players are raising concerns about playing football amid the coronavirus pandemic while others are ignoring advice of medical experts by working out with teammates. NFL players are humans some with immuno-compromised family members or live-in elderly parents. But as a union, our most important job is keep our players safe and alive. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe work environment, Tretter told NFL players.

NEW ORLEANS New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said his criticism of Drew Brees opposition about kneeling during the national anthem, and Brees later apology, is a microcosm of what the county needs. Jenkins went ahead to post a video on his Instagram page calling his teammate part of the problem." He told Noah the video was filmed before he spoke with Brees about his comments, but he decided to post it after they spoke. I think my interaction with Drew is a microcosm to what we need to do as a country, Jenkins said. After Brees comments aired during an interview with Yahoo earlier this month, he was criticized by other high-profile athletes, including LeBron James.

Athletes are coming together to support the Black community in the fight against police brutality and systemic racism. Among the athletes who have been most vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement is LeBron James. "I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Russell Wilson served as hosts at the 2020 ESPYS, which honored Mesabi Range College running back Taquarius Wair with this year's Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. RELATED CONTENT:How the 2020 ESPYS Will Honor Kobe BryantRussell Wilson, Megan Rapino and Sue Bird Will Host a Remote 2020 ESPYSSandra Bullock Presents U.S. Women's Soccer Team With Best Team Award at 2019 ESPYs

Ross Cameron, File)NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS (AP) Drew Brees now realizes he'd fallen out of touch. In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Brees repeated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. The Saints, Brees included, chose to kneel moments before the anthem and then stand as it began. Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins called Brees part of the problem, in a video he posted on social media. Brees' track record may be one reason Carolina Panthers tight end Chris Manhertz, a former Brees teammate in New Orleans, echoed Davis' sentiments.

NEW ORLEANS Drew Brees was sharply criticized by fellow high-profile athletes, including some of his own teammates, on Wednesday after the Saints quarterback reiterated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. In an interview with Yahoo, Brees was asked to revisit former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's 2016 protest of police brutality against minorities, in which Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem before games. I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States, Brees began, adding that the national anthem reminds him of his grandfathers, who served in the armed forces during World War II. Brees has said he supports those protesting police brutality but that he does not see the national anthem as the proper forum for that. In 2017, Brees participated with teammates who knelt before the national anthem, but then stood in unison when the anthem was played.