Colin Kaepernick's silent protest during the national anthem has been a topic of much debate, and this week a former player well respected in the NFL community weighed in.
Marshawn Lynch, a Super Bowl winner with the Seattle Seahawks, appeared Tuesday on Conan with host Conan O'Brien, to share his thoughts on the matter.
"With what's going on, you know, I'd rather see him take a knee than stand up, put his hands up and get murdered," Lynch told O'Brien and the crowd.
[MAIOCCO: Kaepernick discusses death threats, Terence Crutcher's killing]
"My take on it is, (inaudible), got to start somewhere," he added. "And if that was the starting point, I just hope people open up their eyes to see that it's really a problem going on. And something needs to be done for it to stop.
"And I mean, if you're really not racist, then you won't see what he's doing as a threat to America, but just addressing a problem that we have."
The Seahawks, Lynch's former organization, embraced the protest, as the entire team linked arms on the sideline during the pregame ceremony.
San Francisco 49ers
Kaepernick started the movement last month has gained more momentum across the country.
The 49ers quarterback revealed Tuesday that he has received death threats.
Kaepernick also pledged to donate $100,000 in each of the next 10 months to organizations that work toward goals consistent with his message of fighting racial inequalities. He said he is working with his assistants to compile a list of organizations. He will be developing a website that creates transparency. The site will track which organizations receive his financial assistance, as well as how the organizations spend the money he donates, he said.
Kaepernick began a protest at the beginning of the exhibition season to bring attention to injustices toward minorities in America. He sat on the team's bench during the playing of the national anthem for the first three games. In the past three games, Kaepernick and teammate Eric Reid have taken a knee during the Star-Spangled Banner. On Sunday, four teammates -- Antoine Bethea, Eli Harold, Jaquiski Tartt and Rashard Robinson -- raised their fists during the national anthem.
