NFL investigating claim by Redskins WR Terrelle Pryor that Chiefs fan used racial slur
The NFL is investigating a claim by Washington Redskins receiver Terrelle Pryor that a racial slur was directed at him by a fan at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night during the Redskins' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said that review of “all aspects” of Pryor’s claim is underway.
“I don’t want to go too far down the road of hypotheticals, but we have no tolerance for racial remarks directed at anyone in a stadium,” Lockhart said Thursday morning. “Those fans are not welcome to come back this week, next week or any time. I don’t want to get ahead of the review, but our underlying principle is clear.”
Video posted by TMZ.com showed Pryor cursing at a fan while giving a middle finger. Pryor posted on Instagram Wednesday night that the slur was aimed at him multiple times throughout the game, and that an NFL employee had to come stand near him on the sideline.
“I do apologize to my teammates and the organization. But at some point you keep calling us The N word … we going to start acting up. #straightlikethat,” Pryor wrote.
Other items from the league's Thursday media briefing:
— Lockhart said the NFL did not anticipate taking further action regarding Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who made a sexist remark toward a female reporter Wednesday. Newton said it was “funny” that a woman would ask him about receiver routes. The NFL issued a statement Wednesday calling Newton’s comments wrong. “There are conversations going on at the club level with the appropriate people on the Panthers. I don’t want to anticipate the league stepping in there,” Lockhart said.
— The NFL did not punish players in Weeks 3 and 4 who did not stand on the sideline during the national anthem, and there are no plans to do so in the future, Lockhart said. There is a mention in the NFL’s rule book that players could be punished if they are not on the field for The Star-Spangled Banner, but discipline is up to the discretion of the league.
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