New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said "a lot of good conversations" came out of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem last season.
In a clip of an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the five-time Super Bowl champion said: "I respect why people are doing what they are doing. And they're doing it for different reasons, and that's okay."
In 2016, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began to kneel during the national anthem to bring awareness to social injustice issues. Last season, numerous players continued to either kneel or lock arms during the anthem.