The NAACP is furious with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones -- claiming his comments about sitting players who "disrespect the flag" are tone-deaf and misinformed.
Tony Covington -- a former NFL safety who's now an exec with the NAACP -- issued a statement on behalf of the organization blasting Jones.
"Jerry Jones’ comments are more than tone-deaf, more than misinformed and misguided -- they are a public commitment by an NFL owner to violate his players’ Constitutional right to free speech -- one of the principles on which our nation was founded."
Covington continued ... "They are proof that athletes like Colin Kaepernick who have quietly and peacefully used their platform to protest violence against communities of color do so at their own peril."
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People says it has reached out to NFL commish Roger Goodell for a private meeting "in order to determine how he can best protect his players."
"We hope that he will work with us and the Players’ Association to forge this critical path forward."