Dontari Poe and Grady Jarrett joined the ranks of NFL players protesting during the national anthem on Sunday, taking a knee prior to the Week 3 matchup between the Falcons and the Lions. Their teammates stood with locked arms in a show of solidarity.
Eight Lions players knelt during the anthem.
For players like Colin Kaepernick and his former 49ers teammate Eric Reid, and so many others who have joined the protest, the choice to kneel during the national anthem represents opposition to ongoing oppression of black Americans in the United States.
Players’ decisions to protest during the anthem has been met with mixed sentiments, from support for the cause to a “stick to sports” mentality.