Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz issue statements in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death

Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz issued statements on Thursday evening regarding the fatal arrest of George Floyd. For those not aware of the incident that took place earlier this week, you can click here to read a full explainer. Here’s an overview:

A black man in Minneapolis died on Monday after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by law enforcement, which has led to the firing of four police officers.

The death of George Floyd, 46, was captured on video and was later widely shared on social media. In the footage, an officer pins Floyd’s neck to the ground as Floyd is begging, “Please, I can’t breathe” — a moment that closely resembles the pleas of Eric Garner, a black man who died from an officer’s chokehold in 2014. Another police officer watches the scene unfold as bystanders voice their concerns for Floyd. One person comments that Floyd has a bloody nose while another yells, “Bro, you’ve got him down, let him breathe at least, man.”

Toward the end of the video, Floyd turns silent and is motionless as his head remains shoved against the pavement. Shortly after, he was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center, according to the New York Times.

Here’s what Wentz had to say:

And here’s what Ertz had to say:

Wentz and Ertz both earned praise for speaking out from current and former teammates alike.

Former Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins also weighed in with a video of his own:

The Eagles have been one of the NFL’s most socially conscious teams in recent year. Guys like Jenkins, Torrey Smith, and Chris Long were a big part of that. That trio is no longer with Philly but they’ve seemingly rubbed off on their former teammates. Wentz and Ertz are two of the biggest leaders on the Eagles now so their messages hold weight with the rest of the locker room.