Seven 49ers kneel during anthem versus Redskins

Oct 15, 2017 - 6:28 PM Seven San Francisco 49ers players kneeled during the national anthem before Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins.

Safeties Eric Reid and Adrian Colbert, linebackers Eli Harold and Dekoda Watson, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, defensive lineman Arik Armstead and cornerback K'Waun Williams all kneeled during the national anthem, according to ESPN. The rest of the team stood and locked arms before the game in Landover, Md.

This comes after more than 20 players on the 49ers did the same in each of the past two weeks.

In last week's game in Indianapolis, Vice President Mike Pence left the game immediately after more than 20 San Francisco players kneeled during the anthem, with teammates standing behind them.

Pence, a former governor of Indiana who was in Indianapolis as part of the celebration of Peyton Manning and his induction into the Colts' Ring of Honor, tweeted about leaving the game:

"I left today's Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem."

President Donald Trump followed up an hour later by tweeting: "I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen."

Trump's position unified more NFL players to protest racial injustice before or during the anthem. He said during a political rally in Huntsville, Ala., on Sept. 22 that NFL owners should fire the players who knelt during the anthem.

"We're proud of our country. We respect our flag," Trump said to loud applause at the campaign event. "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired! He's fired!'"

Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick drew national attention last season when he knelt during the national anthem as a protest to denounce police brutality against African-Americans, social injustice and racial inequality. A number of players followed Kaepernick's lead by taking a knee during the anthem last year.

NFL players who have demonstrated during the national anthem have said they are protesting police brutality and racism, but not the flag or the anthem itself.

Last Wednesday, the NFL disputed the accuracy of one of Trump's tweet when he praised the league for "finally demanding" players to stand for the national anthem.

Trump said on Twitter that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is now ordering all players to stand during The Star-Spangled Banner.

"It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem-RESPECT OUR COUNTRY," Trump said in an early morning tweet last Wednesday.

Goodell issued a memo to all 32 teams last Tuesday in a bid to end the controversy surrounding player protests during the national anthem. But the commissioner stopped short of demanding or ordering players to stand.

The NFL and NFL Players Association released a joint statement last Wednesday, saying that representatives from the players' union will be at the owners meetings in New York this week to discuss the controversy.

Goodell later told NFL Network that the plan is to have in-depth discussions with the players and owners so that they can better understand the issues.