Cardinals QB Kyler Murray says he will kneel during national anthem
Arizona Cardinals second-year quarterback Kyler Murray is the latest NFL player to declare he will kneel during the national anthem ahead of games this season in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after a white officer kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.
During a Wednesday video conference, Murray responded when asked if he'd participate in the protest movement made famous by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016:
"Yeah, I'll be kneeling," Murray told reporters. "I stand for what's right and that's the bottom line. I call it like I see it, and what's been going on is completely wrong. So, I'll definitely be taking a knee."
According to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, Murray added: "I don't really care what anybody thinks about me, never have, but I know a lot of people that do. And for me being a black man in America, if it's wrong I'm gonna say it's wrong. I feel like personally, it's on everybody to hold each other accountable. But more so, for me, if you're white and you got white friends that feel this certain type of way or don't understand what's going on, it's on you to educate them, as well as black, Hispanic, any other ethnicity.
"If you have any racist friends, it's on you to stop that immediately and let them know why that's not right, or what's wrong with the way they think or just opening their eyes and allowing them to understand what's wrong with their thought process because, to be honest, I mean, we're all human. And I feel like we should all be treated equally. I don't get the debate on why everyone should be treated equally because of their skin color. It doesn't make sense to me, but it is what it is right now. We're trying to fix that."
Murray won't be alone. Houston Texans superstar J.J. Watt and Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield recently backed this specific form of protest of police violence and racial injustices:
Texans coach Bill O'Brien also says he will kneel alongside players before games.
Patriots running back James White has explained that New England players will engage in some type of visual protest this fall.
Meanwhile, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler expects a "record number" of players will partake in pre-game demonstrations such as kneeling during "The Star-Spangled Banner" throughout the 2020 season:
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