The debate over transgender inclusion in women’s sport has been growing for years. But when Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham spoke up about wanting to protect “young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” things took a drastic turn. Rallies erupted outside Fever games, coaches like Cheryl Reeve spoke in favor of inclusion, two former NBA players sparked a controversy by declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft, and a task force was formed to address the matter. Through it all, former NFL linebacker Brian Urlacher has been unhappy with how the media has approached this.

When Urlacher appeared on The Sage Steele Show, Sage asked him why former NFL Athletes with broadcasting roles at ESPN who “know damn well that there’s a difference between men and women” are “silent on this no-brainer issue.” Urlacher’s answer cut straight to the point by calling them out with, “Money.”

“I think it comes down to money,” Urlacher said. “I think that they’re scared to say what they really – because they can’t believe what they’re saying on TV. There’s no way in their right minds they can believe what they’re saying. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. There’s biological differences. There’s no doubt about that.

“They know that, but they just won’t say it on TV. They won’t publicly say it. I’m sure privately they’re probably saying something different, but they’re scared to lose their jobs, and I think it’s a money thing. You know, they’re told to push a certain thing, and I think they all get on board, you know, ‘Yep, let’s just push this,’ and that’s just the way it goes.”

Now, while NFL legends with major broadcasting platforms may not have addressed the growing debate, there have been some who have openly spoken up about it. Former ESPN analyst/former NFL safety Ryan Clark recently criticized former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White for declaring for the league. Clark called them “absolute clowns” on his Pivot podcast. Clark’s co-host and former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder agreed with Clark’s take and pushed back on “too much politicking going on in the WNBA.”

The WNBA, meanwhile, has created a task force comprised of team presidents and GMs, who met last week to discuss the matter. Following the meeting, the league issued an official statement about what was discussed.

“Today’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online,” the statement read. “We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.”

While no resolution has arrived yet, the WNBA continues to weigh all its options as it proceeds with caution on such a sensitive matter. The debate centered around trans inclusion, meanwhile, continues to evolve.