A lingering issue in the NFL this past week was the controversy over the national anthem and whether players should take a knee to show solidarity or stand — although as the majority of the league is African-American, and many kneeling protests were initially called off before they became popular, the subject is perhaps less relevant to everyone.
South African-born and longtime Chicago Bears Pro Bowler Julius Peppers addressed the topic during a segment with WGNAM’s Sports Junkies in Chicago. The lineman called out athletes such as Colin Kaepernick and talked about the social problem in which players of color face prejudice while undertaking their professional careers.
Asked if he would have taken a knee while playing, Peppers simply responded, “Yep.”
Peppers, of course, is referring to the more famous players who began kneeling during the anthem before games in 2016. Last November, former Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle became the first to join in the protests, holding up a No. 6 during pregame ceremonies after his team played the San Francisco 49ers.
“This is a protest aimed at social injustices that black people have to face every day,” Weddle said of his decision. “The people who are protesting are right.”
But it doesn’t appear that Peppers agrees with the direction the movement has taken over the past year. The outspoken safety, who in recent years has flirted with a possible political career, didn’t draw the line on the same stage on which both Kaepernick and the retired safety stood before the microphone, but he still didn’t oppose the protests.