Goodell on preseason protests: 'People do have rights, and we want to respect those'
Colin Kaepernick might not have a team to play for right now, but that doesn't mean the protest that he started in 2016 is going to end anytime soon.
During Week 1 of the preseason, several players -- including Marshawn Lynch and Michael Bennett-- continued Kaepernick's form of protesting by kneeling or sitting for the national anthem.
Lynch's protest came before the Raiders played in Arizona on Saturday, and coincidentally, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was taking part in a fan forum in the same location on Monday. During the forum, Goodell was asked for his thoughts on the latest round of protests.
"It's one of those things where we have to understand that there are people who have different viewpoints," Goodell said, via ESPN.com. "It's something that I think everybody wants. The national anthem is a special moment for me. It's a point of pride. That is a really important moment but we also have to understand the other side, that people do have rights and we want to respect those."
The commissioner also seemed to suggest that maybe the players need to consider that there's a better time and place to be protesting.
"That's what we all have to, sort of, understand, the responsibility of doing it at the right time and in the right way," Goodell said. "Protest to progress is what I call it. We all have to recognize that people want to see change. Let's go out and try to make that happen in a peaceful and an important way."
Goodell's comments weren't as harsh as they were 11 months ago when he had to answer questions about Kaepernick's protest for the first time. In September, Goodell said he wanted to see players respect the flag.
"I think it's important to have respect for our country, for our flag, for the people who make our country better, for law enforcement and for our military who are out fighting for our freedoms and our ideals," Goodell said.
Many players, including Bennett and Kaepernick, have made it clear that their protest has nothing to do with the military. Both players have said that they're protesting racial injustice and police brutality against minorities.
As for Goodell, this probably won't be the final time he has to answer a question about this subject in 2017, especially if Kaepernick remains unsigned, and especially if Bennett protests the entire season, as he plans to do.