Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall kneeled during the national anthem just prior to the first regular season game of the 2016 NFL season.
Broncos LB Brandon Marshall, Colin Kaepernick’s college teammate, took a knee during the national anthem
Add Marshall to the list of NFL players who are protesting during the national anthem.
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Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
As Denver prepared to face the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football, Marshall kneeled and remained kneeling until the anthem concluded.
After the game, Marshall said he will continue to kneel and he hopes to affect change with his protest, according to Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post.
“I’m not against the military. I’m not against the police or America,” Marshall said, according to Wolfe. “I’m against social injustice.”
Marshall played with Colin Kaepernick at Nevada, and according to Paul Klee of The Gazette, he supports Kaepernick and his ongoing protest during the national anthem.
“Kaep, he’s using his platform how he wants to use it, to reach the masses,” Marshall said. “We have freedom of speech. But then we use our platform, and we get bashed for it. It’s almost like they want us to only go with the grain. And once we go against the grain, it’s an issue.”
Thursday’s game was nationally televised on NBC. The Broncos released a statement during the first quarter addressing Marshall’s decision to kneel.
“While we encourage members of our organization to stand during the National Anthem, we understand and respect it being a personal decision,” the statement read.
Kaepernick began his protest of the national anthem during the preseason to call attention to the ongoing oppression of black Americans in the United States.
“I’ll continue to sit,” Kaepernick said. “I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. 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 pledged the first million dollars of his salary this season as well as the proceeds from his jersey sales to organizations that fight against social inequality. The 49ers have also pledged $1 million to local Bay Area organizations that do the same.
Kaepernick’s 49ers teammate, safety Eric Reid, and Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane have also chosen to join in the protest of the national anthem.
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