text: You keep pretending like a BIG drop is the same as a slight drop.  That's like characterizing a $5.00/hr a raise as being pretty much the same as a 50 cent/hr raise because "Hey, they both in the same direction!".  
  
  No, the NFL ratings decline of the last 2 years WAY outpaces the gradual ratings decline of TV in general.  Moreover, NFL rating were BUCKING that broader TV trend in seasons before the players started kneeling...
  
  https://www.si.com/more-sports/2016/01/10/media-circus-nfl-playoff-ratings-espn-nbc-cbs
  
  "The final viewership numbers for the NFL’s regular season arrived this week and the Sunday packages (NBC, CBS, Fox) were all up over last year. Same with the Thursday night package across CBS and NFL Network. Of the five NFL television rights holders, ESPN was the only partner with a decline for game viewership, dropping for the second straight year. But that’s likely due to cord-cutting as opposed to a statement on viewer popularity.