NFL Players Kneel During National Anthem

To protest police brutality and racial injustice, many NFL players along with college and high school athletes, have been kneeling or even sitting during the National Anthem.

In August 2016, Colin Kaepernick sat on the bench during the San Francisco 49ers’s first preseason game. It first went unnoticed that the quarterback was sitting until the third preseason game.

When asked why he sat, Kaepernick replied, “To me, this is something that has to change. When there's significant change and I feel that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand.”

Kaepernick has since changed his protest method, and now kneels instead of sits. Players want to protest the issues that need to be addressed while still showing respect for the military and those who have fought for our country and flag.

Players from other teams and even other sports have joined Kaepernick including, 49ers’ Eric Reid, Seahawks’ Jeremy Lane, Megan Rapinoe of the National Women’s Soccer League, and Broncos’ Brandon Marshall to name a few of the first to join. Many others followed throughout the 2016 football season and into the early 2017 season.

On September 24, 2017 President Trump tweeted “If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!” which caused many more players from many different teams to kneel at their next game.

Trump continued to tweet throughout the weekend with comments including a request for a rule that would make it mandatory for players to stand, commending a group of Cowboys fans for booing the kneeling players, and asking fans to stop watching and attending NFL games where protests occur.

After this series of tweets many players from many teams joined the protests including players from the Jaguars, Ravens, Denver Broncos, Bills, Browns, Patriots, Eagles, Falcons, Lions, Saints, Packers, Chargers, Chiefs, Bengals, Washington, Oakland Raiders, and Colts.

Some past and present players took to Twitter to criticize Trump and his comments like Richard Sherman, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback, who said “The behavior of the President is unacceptable and needs to be addressed. If you do not Condemn this divisive Rhetoric you are Condoning it!!”

NFL players and athletes in general agree that the flag should be honored, but until the police brutality and racial injustice issues are solved, protests will not be ending anytime soon.