[randita]

Many reasons I can think of for the decline:

The match ups in prime time have, by and large, been awful. Who wants to watch two losing teams play each other.

The disrespect toward the National Anthem.

The constant interruptions in the game due to questionable penalties and call reviews.

The length of the games and the incessant bombarding of ads is over the top. Games run for about four hours. The clock runs for one hour. Yet the time where there is actual action is only about 11 minutes! If you have to watch, DVR it and spend 11 minutes watching it rather than wasting four hours.

The NFL has gotten so greedy. The axiom “pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered” is becoming applicable.

Some cite the brutality and injuries stemming from the game, but it’s always been like that, so I’m not sure. It is certain that due to the potential for serious injury, many parents are wary of having their kids involved, opting for soccer or other sports without the extreme contact.

[Sans-Culotte]

I think there is a relationship between the reasons you cite and the protests. The fact that some of us have turned off the NFL has underscored the fact that they no longer put out a quality product that is worthy of being called "must-see TV". Had it not been for the protests, their viewership would erode more slowly. But the protests are giving guys a chance to say"I'm boycotting football and I don't even miss it 'cuz it sucks!"

They could not have picked a worse time to allow these protests to continue.