'We will never back down': NFL Players Association rips Trump over Kaepernick 'son of a b*tch' slur

The executive director of the NFL players union is defending players and expecting owners to join them after President Donald Trump called quarterback Colin Kaepernick a "son of a b*tch" at a campaign rally in Alabama.

"We will never back down," DeMaurice Smith tweeted early Saturday morning. "We no longer can afford to stick to sports."

The players' representative also took issue with the fact NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to condemn President Trump's attack on Kaepernick's civil rights.

"Whether or not Roger and the owners will speak for themselves about their views on player rights and their commitment to play safety remains to be seen," Smith noted. "This union, however, will never back down when it comes to protecting the constitutional rights of our players as citizens as well as their safety as men who compete in a game that exposes them to great risks."

There has been speculation that neither team owners nor Commissioner Goodell will defend player rights.

The deafening silence from team owners and the league is in stark contrast to the reaction from players, who have rallied to defend their rights.

Former Pro Bowl running back Thomas Q. Jones had some of the harshest words, referencing the arrest of Donald Trump's father at a KKK rally.

NFL veteran Takeo Spikes called President Trump both a "son of a b*tch" and a "dotard" in his blistering response.