Marshawn Lynch Says He’s Been Sitting During The National Anthem For 11 Years

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat during the national anthem Saturday night before his team’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

The peaceful protests seemed to follow that done by former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, but according to Lynch’s comments to head coach Jack Del Rio, he’s been doing it for over a decade.

Del Rio told reporters, “Talked to Marshawn, trying to make sure we’re on the same page. He said ‘This is something I’ve done for 11 years. It’s not a form of anything other than me being myself.’ I said, ‘So you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem. But I’m going to respect you as a man, you do your thing. We’ll do ours.’ It’s a non-issue for me.”

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Whether or not Lynch has actually sat during the National Anthem for his entire career remains to be seen, but ProFootballTalk dug up a video of the national anthem before the November 13, 2011, Ravens-Seahawks game in Seattle, which shows Lynch standing.

No video or photos were able to be tracked down showing Lynch sitting during the anthem.

(Bleacher Report)