Marshawn Lynch sits out anthem as NFL protests decline

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch picked up Monday where he left off last season by sitting on the bench during the national anthem.

Lynch, who also sat last season without giving a reason, was one of only a handful of players to refuse to stand for the national anthem during Week 1 of the 2018 NFL regular season.

Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch sits during national anthem https://t.co/YnOw7gS22D pic.twitter.com/II8NLt3xUT

— SFGate (@SFGate) September 11, 2018

Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Alfred Wilson took knees during the anthem before their game Sunday, while two Philadelphia Eagles players “took seats on the bench near the end of ’The Star-Spangled Banner,’ but that was the extent of it,” according to USA Today.

One of those Eagles, defensive end Michael Bennett, knelt regularly for the anthem throughout the 2017 season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Overall, the national-anthem protests were on the decline as the 2018 regular season kicked off, despite Colin Kaepernick’s high-profile Nike ad and the NFL’s failure to institute a policy during the off-season addressing on-field protests.

Three players raised fists during Week 1, while another four remained in the locker room or tunnel during the flag ceremony, according to CNSNews.

By comparison, nearly 20 players continued to kneel or sit during the anthem at the end of the 2017 regular season in what was described as a protest against racial inequality and police brutality.

The protests peaked in September 2017, when nearly 200 players protested in reaction to President Trump’s tweet sug