Tony Gonzalez: DeMaurice Smith shouldn’t lead the union because he didn’t play

Getty Images Future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez does not believe today’s NFL players are getting good representation from their union.
Gonzalez said on FS1 that NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith is not doing a good job of leading the union because he does not understand what NFL players really need.
That was something that I never liked about DeMaurice.” Regarding the NFL’s ongoing talks with the NFLPA about a revised national anthem rule, Gonzalez said he believes former NFLPA head Gene Upshaw, who was a Hall of Fame player, would have been able to agree with former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue about a rule that everyone could live with.
Everybody said they’re too close to each other.
These two guys, DeMaurice and Roger Goodell they can’t stand each other,” Gonzalez said.
You should not think that way because that’s how progress gets stalled.
These guys should have gone in that room, it should be over and done with now, everybody concedes, everybody gives, everybody takes, and let’s get back to the game of football.
The current executive director of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association, Tony Clark, is a former player, but he’s the first former player to head the union.
The head of the National Basketball Association Players’ Association, Michele Roberts, didn’t play pro sports.
So Smith is far from alone in lacking the experience that Gonzalez thinks is essential.