GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett sat on the bench again during the national anthem. On the other sideline at about the 30 yard line, his younger brother Martellus Bennett, a tight end for the Packers, stood at the end of the line next to his teammates, but raised his right fist in the air during the anthem at Lambeau Field.
KPUG Edit: Former Seattle Seahawk Marshawn Lynch remained seated during the national anthem Sunday. It was the first regular season game for the running back since July of 2016. Lynch joined the Oakland Raiders this off-season after retiring for a year.
Elsewhere…
In a show of unity, the Cleveland Browns ran onto the field for their season opener accompanied by police, firefighters, emergency workers and military personnel.
After being criticized for kneeling during the national anthem before a recent exhibition, several Browns players met with owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam about how to better connect with the community. They later met with Cleveland’s police chief and one of the ideas hatched was the pregame introduction and the public servants stood alongside the players for the anthem.
Before the anthem Sunday, a video featuring several Browns players, including 10-time Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas and rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer was shown on the stadium’s scoreboard. During the video, players asked for unity, equality and cooperation during a time of division in our country.