A year ago, Colin Kaepernick began his protest against racial injustice by remaining seated during the national anthem. On Saturday, Marshawn Lynch did the same, though it's unclear if he was continuing Kaepernick's protest.
Before the Raiders' first preseason game against the Cardinals, Lynch sat through the national anthem. The photo below was captured by Mark J. Rebilas of USA Today:
After the game, Lynch vacated the locker room before reporters were allowed entry. So he did not explain why he chose to sit.
Lynch was long gone by time locker room opened so I couldn’t ask him about it
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 13, 2017
Here's what Lynch told Raiders coach Jack Del Rio:
Jack Del Rio on Marshawn Lynch not standing for the national anthem. pic.twitter.com/cgZkDTwWFJ
— Jimmy Durkin (@Jimmy_Durkin) August 13, 2017
Lynch's decision to sit shouldn't come as a surprise. On Saturday, one person was killed and 19 were injured when a car smashed into a group of counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, CBS News reported. And during an appearance on Conan last September, Lynch backed Kaepernick's protest.
"I'd rather see him take a knee than stand up, put his hands up, and get murdered," he said at the time. "So, I mean, my take on it is, [expletive]'s got to start somewhere, and if that was the starting point, I just hope people open up their eyes to see that there's really a problem going on, and something needs to be done for it to stop. And I mean, if you're really not racist then you won't see what he's done, what he's doing, as a threat to America, but just addressing a problem that we have."
Saturday night marked Lynch's first game with the Raiders, but he didn't see the field. Once the meaningful games begin, he's expected to spearhead the rushing attack for his hometown team.
As for Kaepernick, he remains unsigned. He has kept busy this offseason by repeatedly making donations to various charities. Last September, he pledged to donate $1 million to charities that help communities in need.