Seventeen players on the New England Patriots took a knee Sunday, following comments from President Donald Trump that players who protest in such a fashion deserve to be suspended or fired– others linked arms.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick dodged the issue twice during interviews.
“I’m just going to talk about the game, I’ll deal with that later,” Belichick said.
But defensive captain Devin McCourty, who was one of the players who took a knee, said he was proud of the action.
“We were trying to do the right thing and I’m proud of our guys and I’m proud of the group and the guys I get to go out there and play football with,” McCourty said. “They’re better people than they are football players.”
McCourty said he wants to convey a message of unity of being together as a team.