The rest of the team stayed off the field during the national anthem because head coach Mike Tomlin said he did not want players to feel forced to take sides after President Trump called for players to be fired for kneeling during the anthem to protest racism. Villanueva stood alone near the tunnel with his hand over his heart, and on Monday, his jersey became the top-selling jersey in the NFL.
“I made coach Tomlin look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only,” he said, adding that he is supportive of teammates who decide to kneel or sit during the national anthem.
“People that are taking a knee are not saying anything negative about the military, they’re not saying anything negative about the flag, they’re just trying to protest that there are some injustices in America," he said, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
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