Two NFL players joined Colin Kaepernick in his national anthem protest last week. This week an entire team might decide not to stand all together.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane joined Kaepernick and sat during the national anthem in his team’s last preseason game. Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin is considering joining Lane this week, but says he first wants “to make sure I get all of my ducks in a row before I do so,” Deadspin reports.
Jeremey Lane sat alone in protest at the Seahawks last preseason game. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Linebacker Bobby Wagner echoed Baldwin’s sentiment on the subject saying “anything we want to do, it’s not going to be individual. It’s going to be a team thing. That’s what the world needs to see. The world needs to see people coming together versus being individuals.”
The Seahawks are set to start their regular season against the Miami Dolphins on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks this Sunday. Baldwin says the “added significance of the date magnifies the message rather than distracts from it,” according to Deadspin.
“I think it’s very ironic that 15 years ago on Sept. 11 is one of the most devastating times in U.S. history, and after that day we were probably the most unified we’ve ever been,” Baldwin said. “Today you struggle to see the unity.”
It might be hard for Wagner and Baldwin to bring the Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson on board with a team-wide protest. (RELATED: NFL Superstar Takes Clear Stance Against Sitting During National Anthem)
Russell Wilson probably won’t agree with his teammates on this. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
When asked about Kaepernick’s protest, Wilson admitted he understood what he is doing but explained why he stands for the flag:
For me, I love the flag. I love the National Anthem because it’s an emotional time for me because I’m so grateful I get to play on the football field. And every time I get to put my hand on my heart, it’s truly an honor. You know, the military, for me I think about my family members who have served, and friends. I train down in San Diego all the time, so I’m around the Navy and I see those guys around. And all they do for our country and the people in Afghanistan and all these people fighting. 9/11, for example, coming up, that’s going to be our first game and I think about all the pain from that. So that’s why I stand and put my hand on my heart.
If Wagner keeps to his mantra of “people coming together versus being individuals,” it’s not likely the entire Seahawks team will join the national anthem protest. Not if Russell Wilson has anything to say about it.
But Wagner did say “whatever we decide to do will be a big surprise.”