Declining Popularity of Professional Sports

The NFL will be kicking off in the next couple of weeks, but professional sports ratings have shown to be significantly lower since the pandemic.  In the past, sports have been a way to escape the problems of the world. Have professional sports players voicing their political opinions changed the way people feel about sports?  Or perhaps, people have just found other things to do. Without the TV ratings and fans in the seats, will the NFL be able to reconnect with its audience and maintain the salaries currently being paid to players and staff?