SANTA CLARA — Colin Kaepernick didn’t do much to warrant headlines with his performance on the field Friday, but he’s certainly in for his fair share of scrutiny after he sat through the national anthem before his preseason debut against the Packers.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com was first to report Kaepernick didn’t stand for the national anthem and got the 49ers to issue a statement on the matter. The statement from the 49ers to PFT:
“The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
Kaepernick has used his social media profiles to showcase his political beliefs but has never before made a statement of this magnitude. It will be interesting to see how the 49ers and/or Kaepernick address this further.