Marshawn Lynch Sits Out the National Anthem in Protest Before an Oakland Raiders Preseason Game

Some might call it “pulling a Kaepernick.”

One thing that’s been established about the un-retired Marshawn Lynch: he doesn’t really give much of a damn about others’ opinions. Beastmode is going to do what he wants. 

Saturday night, he chose to sit down while the national anthem played prior to the Raiders-Arizona Cardinals preseason game. 

Anyone who’s ever paid close attention to Lynch’s statements shouldn’t be too surprised. When Colin Kaepernick stirred controversy with the same kind of protest in 2016, Lynch said that anyone who wasn’t truly “racist. . .won’t see what [Kaepernick is] doing as a threat to America, just addressing the problem that we have.”

While no one has elaborated on the reason for Lynch’s protest, it’s likely to be similar to Kaepernick‘s, who explained his own peaceful protest by saying he would “continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed.” 

“To me,” Kaepernick said, “this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”

Social media reactions to Lynch’s action were predictably mixed.

Lynch did not play in the game Saturday, and Kaepernick has yet to sign with a team to play in the upcoming season.