Kaepernick continues anthem protest, calls Dilfer comments 'ridiculous'
Colin Kaepernick continued his national anthem protest in the 49ers’ first regular season game on Monday, kneeling alongside safety Eric Reid.
Two members of the Los Angeles Rams—Kenny Britt and Robert Quinn— raised their fists in the air.
They joined a long list of players around the NFL who protested before games played on Sunday, including Arian Foster, Marcus Peters and Devin McCourty.
Kaepernick was the first NFL player this season to voice concerns over racial inequality and police brutality. He began by sitting during the national anthem before preseason games, but later decided to take a knee instead after speaking with former Seahawks long snapper and Army veteran Nate Boyer.
Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall kneeled before Thursday’s season opener against the Panthers and the practice has also spread to colleges and high schools.
Kaepernick also responded to ESPN NFL analyst Trent Dilfer's comments about the protest. Dilfer said that Kaepernick "is a backup QB whose job is be quiet and sit in the shadows," and added that the protests have caused a distraction to the team.
"I think that’s one of the most ridiculous comments I’ve heard," Kaepernick said. "The fact (Dilfer) says, 'You are a backup QB, stay in your place.' That’s an issue. To me, you are telling me that my position as a backup QB and being quiet is more important than people’s lives. I would ask him to really have a conversation with the families of people that have been murdered and see if he still feels that way. Because I bet that he doesn’t, just because he hasn’t experienced that type of oppression."
