The demonstrations started with Sunday morning's game in London between the Jaguars and Ravens, when players and staff from both teams either knelt or stood with arms locked during the national anthem, and continued through the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. games -- all because President Trump said this at a rally on Friday night: "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. She later clarified that she wasn’t suggesting people protest police, but was pointing out that it is inappropriate to protest the flag over their concerns. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told CBS Sports sideline reporter Jamie Erdahl why the team wouldn't participate in the national anthem:

"You know, these are very divisive times for our country and for us as a football team it's about us remaining solid," Tomlin said. After a Sunday filled with demonstrations during the national anthem and some NFL teams skipping the anthem altogether in response to President Donald Trump's comments about the league, the Raiders and Redskins got their opportunity to make a statement in the final game of the day. The Dallas Cowboys briefly kneeled before the national anthem ahead of their Monday night game against the Arizona Cardinals, capping off a weekend that saw more than 200 players kneel or sit during the anthem itself. The Cowboys, often referred to as “America’s Team,” along with owner Jerry Jones, stood in the middle of the field before the anthem was sung and locked arms — then took a quick knee before going back to the sidelines.
Amid criticism of U.S. national anthem protests by U.S. President Donald Trump, some National Football League players and teams react to the controversy by kneeling, linking arms, or skipping game performances of the national anthem.