Eagles rookie linebacker Myke Tavarres is standing with San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick, who took a stand against the national anthem by sitting during the song. More specifically, Tavarres is also taking a stand by sitting down during the anthem.
"Oh, I thought about it. Believe me, I definitely thought about it," Tavarres told ESPN. "And usually I'm front and center on the line with the rest of the guys, and that's since pre-K all the way up. Saturday's game, I stepped back, I was in the background, and it didn't feel right to me at all, and so I will be taking a stand—or sitting down—for the fourth game.
"We've got an issue in this country in this day and age, and I feel like somebody needs to step up and we all need to step up," he continued. "We've got that right. There's just a lot going on that people don't want to talk about, and I feel like us as athletes, we're looked at as role models. And I feel like with Colin Kaepernick, he's doing a great job for standing up in what he believes in, and most people may not like that, but that's his opinion. He's entitled to it, and I respect him for doing it."
Kaepernick could lose endorsements, but Tavarres' future with the team is still uncertain because he's a rookie free agent.
"In this situation, I've really got nothing to lose," Tavarres told ESPN. "I'm a rookie free agent, haven't signed any major contract, so there's not a lot of money on the line; I don't have any big endorsement deals on the line. Really, what's at stake is my pride and what kind of man would I be and what kind of African American would I be if I didn't stand my ground on this issue we have today?
"[It] needs to be done," he added. "Will there be backlash? Probably. I don't think anyone has bought my jersey yet, so I don't know if it's going to be burned, but it's a major issue, and I'm definitely going to stand my ground for this one."