Seahawks’ Michael Bennett sits for anthem to ‘speak out on injustice’

CARSON, Calif. – Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett sat during the national anthem prior to the team’s preseason opener against the Chargers on Sunday night.

While the rest of the team continued its routine of last season of standing with locked arms along the sideline Bennett sat on a bench with a towel draped over his shoulder pads.

After the anthem finished he stood up and joined the rest of his defensive teammates.

Bennett said after the game he made the decision in the last few days in the wake of demonstrations in Charlotttesville as well as earlier Sunday in Seattle and said he plans to sit for the rest of the season.

“Seeing everything in Virginia and stuff that is going on I just wanted to be able to use my platform to continuously speak out on injustice,” Bennett said.

Bennett said it was not a stance against the military noting that his father, Michael Bennett Sr., served in the Navy – last October Bennett represented Seahawks players at the team’s “Change of Command” ceremony when the Seahawks honor a local military unit.

“First of all I want to make sure people understand I love the military – my father was in the military,” Bennett said. “I love hot dogs like any other American. I love football like any other American. But I don’t love segregation, I don’t love riots, I don’t love oppression. … I just want to see people have the equality that they deserve and I want to be able to use this platform to continuously push the message and keep finding out how unselfish we can be in society, how we can continuously love one another and understand that people are different and just because peole are different doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t like them.”

The move came a day after former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch sat during the anthem before Oakland’s game against Arizona.

Bennett, however, said he had not talked to Lynch.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he did not know Bennett planned to sit and that “I haven’t really had a chance to think about it.”

Bennett has been particularly outspoken about social issues and is writing a book titled “How to Make White People Uncomfortable.” Bennett also recently appeared at a fundraiser for Seattle woman Charleena Lyles, who was killed in a police shooting in June.

Bennett has also shown consistent support for former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sat and then kneeled during the anthem throughout last season.

Bennett recently said “of course he’s being blackballed” in regards to the fact that Kaepernick has not signed with an NFL team.