Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers didn’t report to the field until after the national anthem Sunday, a move he said was in response to comments by President Donald Trump.
Peppers said his protest didn’t hurt anyone, and that he did it in response to the President saying NFL players who protest during the anthem should be “fired” by their team.
Peppers, who emerged from the tunnel after the anthem was over, said he wanted to make a statement, but that he didn’t want it to be about the flag.
The protest, Peppers said, wasn’t about the flag, or the military, or the anthem, but directly about President Trump’s remarks.