San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan praised former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for trying to bring the issue of racism and police brutality to light with his protests during the national anthem in the 2016 season.
The issues surrounding Kaepernick’s stance have resurfaced this week as many players and teams in the league have been protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd was a black man who was handcuffed as a police officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes. Officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees also apologized Thursday after being criticized for reiterating his opposition to Kaepernick’s protest.