UPDATE: Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins responded to Eric Reid's comments.

The NFL offered to work with its players to donate millions to organizations many consider important to black communities in an effort to squelch the movement of national anthem demonstrations, ESPN reported Wednesday, and discussions regarding the league's decision have caused a Players Coalition to splinter.

49ers safety Eric Reid, who joined former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem last year to protest what they say are injustices in America, and Dolphins safety Michael Thomas announced through Twitter they were breaking away from the Players Coalition.

Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin brought together the coalition over the past year to organize protesting players. Recently, the coalition filed paperwork to gain official nonprofit status, according to ESPN.

Reid and Thomas posted identical messages on Twitter that said the coalition no longer speaks for them. Reid told ESPN that Jenkins had been speaking with NFL representatives without consulting other players.

"Myself and other protesting players are departing from the Players Coalition because we aren't satisfied with the structure of the Players Coalition and the communication that's been happening between Malcolm and the NFL," Reid said to ESPN. "Myself and the aforementioned protesting players have voiced these concerns numerous times to Malcolm, concerning the structure of the organization and how we want to be involved more with the NFL in those communications. It has not transpired."

Jenkins and Boldin have been active in lobbying for criminal justice reform and working to explain their activism aims to league executives. In September, Jenkins hosted Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on a tour to learn about the Philadelphia criminal justice system, and he spoke for a group of players after a meeting with owners in October.

The NFL's offer includes a total of at least $89 million in donations over seven years to the Players Coalition and other national organizations, according to ESPN, and franchises would also contribute to local charities. Twenty-five percent of the portion of the money designed for national initiatives would go to the United Negro College Fund, 25 percent to Dream Corps and 50 percent to the Players Coalition, ESPN reported.

If NFL players accept the deal, owners will hold a vote at the league meetings in March before it can be finalized.

The NFL has grappled with fallout from the anthem protests Kaepernick, who remains a free agent, catalyzed last year by sitting and the kneeling during the national anthem. The demonstrations have drawn widespread attention, including sharp criticism from President Donald Trump and support from prominent social activists.

As owners confront the controversy surrounding the peaceful protests, players are facing their own challenges.

"The Players Coalition was supposed to be formed as a group that represents NFL Athletes who have been silently protesting social injustices and racism," Thomas and Reid wrote in the messages posted on via Twitter. "However, Malcolm and Anquan can no longer speak on our behalf as we don't believe the coalition's beliefs are in our best interests as a whole."

-- @AaronKazreports