Jets' Nick Mangold wears NYPD hat

This has been the season of protest in the NFL, with players expressing support for the protesters in Ferguson, Mo.; frustration with the death by asphyxiation of Eric Garner in New York; and a call for justice in the deaths of two Ohio individuals at the hands of police. On the morning after two police officers were gunned down while in their police car in Brooklyn, Nick Mangold of the New York Jets offered his own support, wearing an NYPD hat.

Yahoo Sports contributor Kristian Dyer snapped this photo of Mangold before Sunday's game against the Patriots:

New York City-area teams have a long history of connection with the NYPD. Players from the Yankees and Mets wore NYPD caps in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and Mangold's support is now part of that long-running tradition. His support continued before the game:

Many fans and police unions expressed disappointment with the players who took stances in support of victims. However, neither the NFL nor the individual teams punished the players involved in the protests. Clearly, the NFL has a situation on its hands now where players are feeling the freedom to express points of view across the political spectrum without fear of being fined or disciplined.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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