Associated Press journalists counted 15 NFL players protesting the national anthem in some form before games Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid, linebacker Eli Harold and receiver Marquise Goodwin kneeled during the anthem before their game with the Arizona Cardinals.
It appeared that six active players and at least one inactive player for Seattle sat for the anthem prior to a game with the Washington Redskins. The majority of the Seahawks defensive line has been sitting during the anthem for most of the season. Newly acquired left tackle Duane Brown knelt.
Only five players were spotted protesting the anthem in some form before the early games.
Philadelphia Eagles safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod raised their fists during the anthem. Defensive end Chris Long put an arm on Jenkins. Giants injured defensive end Oliver Vernon took a knee.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews stayed off the field during the anthem.
Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the protest movement last season. He remains unsigned and has filed a complaint that team owners colluded against him because of the protests – aimed at police brutality against African-Americans and other issues.
Most weeks, a handful of players – almost all of them black – have protested during the anthems. On Sept. 24, however, more than 200 players protested after President Donald Trump said owners should fire any players who didn’t stand for the anthem.
About a dozen members of the New Orleans Saints took a knee before the anthem Sunday, but stood once the public address announcer asked the crowd to rise. That’s been the Saints’ typical anthem routine since the fourth week of the season.
No members of the Houston Texans knelt. One week earlier, all but about 10 Texans took a knee to protest team owner Bob McNair’s comment that ”we can’t have the inmates running the prison” during a meeting of NFL owners about player protests.
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving was pictured raising his fist shortly after the anthem finished playing before the Cowboys’ game with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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