The protest movement among NFL players originated last season with the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys’ opponent Sunday.
Former quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the protests to raise awareness for police brutality against people of color and social injustices. A few of his teammates joined him and have continued kneeling during the national anthem this season.
About 20 players took a knee during the anthem when the 49ers played at Indianapolis earlier this month, prompting vice president Mike Pence to bolt the game early. That moment led to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones saying he would bench players who protested during the national anthem.