Marshawn Lynch sits during national anthem before Oakland Raiders' preseason opener
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch is continuing to sit during the national anthem.
Lynch took a seat on the bench on the Raiders sideline Friday night before his team’s first preseason game against the Detroit Lions, much like he did before games in 2017. Lynch has never publicly stated his reason for sitting, though he did rise for the Mexican anthem before a game in Mexico City last year, after sitting through The Star-Spangled Banner.
The NFL announced Thursday night that no players or teams would be punished for demonstrations during the anthem, while the league and NFL Players Association negotiate a policy. In May, owners unilaterally agreed on a policy that would require players to stand during the anthem or remain in the locker room.
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On Thursday, two Dolphins players, receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, took a knee, while a number of others chose to stay in the locker room. Several other players, like Philadelphia’s Malcolm Jenkins and Miami’s Robert Quinn, raised a fist, all signs that league efforts this offseason to end player protests have not ended the desire of some players to use their visible platform to try to draw attention to social injustice and system racial inequality.
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