Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Baker Mayfield said he “absolutely” plans to join kneeling protests against police brutality and racial inequality during the national anthem this NFL season.
Mayfield made the revelation in reply to a fan on Instagram earlier this week, who said to the quarterback, “Please tell Browns fans you are not going to be kneeling this season.”
Mayfield answered the fan by saying, “Pull your head out. I absolutely am.”
Mayfield is the latest member of the NFL to state an intention to join the protests started by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling in 2016 to protest police brutality and systemic racism, according to CBS Sports.
A day before Mayfield made his intentions clear, Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien also said he will kneel in protest this season.
Mayfield elaborated more on his decision, saying “It’s a pivotal time for change” following the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, according to The Guardian.
“What’s being addressed now obviously has been going on for a long time," said Mayfield, who wore an “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt while working out. “So now everybody’s finally coming together to address it. And doing it the right way of holding people accountable.”
Mayfield stressed that he has “the utmost respect for our military, cops, and people that serve OUR country. It’s about equality and everybody being treated the same because we are all human. It’s been ignored for too long and that it my fault as well for not becoming more educated and staying silent.”
He added that “If I lose fans, that’s OK. I’ve always spoken my mind. And that’s from the heart.”
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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