Trump reignites controversy over NFL kneeling protests
Reaction from former NFL player Jack Brewer.
Arizona Cardinals second-year star quarterback Kyler Murray will be one of the many players expected to kneel during the national anthem when the 2020 NFL season kicks off.
Murray talked to reporters on Wednesday and said that he plans on taking action in protest of police brutality and social injustice.
"I'll be kneeling," Murray said. "I stand for what's right. That's the bottom line. I call it like I see it. I'll definitely be taking a knee."
Other players across the league have already confirmed that they will kneel during the national anthem, including Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. A fan asked Mayfield on Instagram not to kneel, but he replied by saying, “Pull your head out. I absolutely am.″ He heard a lot of criticism about his response, but when he explained his reason for it, he mentioned what former NFL player and Green Beret Nate Boyer told Colin Kaepernick in 2016.
“Everybody so upset about my comment doesn’t understand the reasoning behind kneeling in the first place,” Mayfield wrote on his Instagram story. ”Nate and Kap came to an agreement that kneeling was the most respectful way to support our military while also standing up for equality.
“I have the utmost respect for our military, cops, and people that serve our country,” Mayfield added. “It’s about equality and everybody being treated the same because we’re all human. It’s been ignored for too long and that is my fault as well for not becoming more educated and staying silent. If I lose fans, that’s OK. I’ve always spoken my mind. And that’s from the heart.”
Houston Texans star J.J. Watt also took his thoughts to Twitter about taking action. One person wrote, in a now-deleted tweet, that he was "pretty sure" the three-time Defensive Player of the Year would not be taking a knee, along with three American flag emojis.
Watt clapped back, responding Saturday: “Don’t speak for me”
"If you still think it's about disrespecting the flag or our military, you clearly haven't been listening," Watt tweeted.
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Texans coach Bill O’Brien said he would kneel with his players if they chose to do so during the anthem.
Watt has been outspoken about the need for more understanding and justice in the nation following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.
Earlier this month, he wrote a lengthy post on social media that began: “Silence is unacceptable."
Fox News’ Frank Miles contributed to this report.
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