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NFL Player Protests Resume During Anthem, Including Miami Dolphins

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MIAMI (CBSMiami/CNN) - Several NFL players took a knee, or raised a fist, in protest during the National Anthem before Thursday night's preseason games including at the Miami Dolphins game.

In Miami Gardens, Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson knelt during the anthem before their game with Tampa Bay, defensive end Robert Quinn raised his fist during the song.

"Being part of this protest hasn't been easy," said Stills after the game. "I thought I was going to be by myself out there, I had an angel with me, with Albert being out there. I'm grateful that he sees what's happening, he wants to stand up and do something about it as well."

In Jacksonville, several Jaguars -- including Jalen Ramsey, Telvin Smith, Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon -- were not on the field as the anthem played ahead of their game against the New Orleans Saints.

In Philadelphia, Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett walked out of the tunnel Thursday during the anthem and headed to the team bench ahead of a game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.

Eagles captain Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback De'Vante Bausby raised their fists during the song.

"I just think it's important to keep this conversation going, that we don't let it get stagnant," Jenkins said after the game, according to NFL.com. "You know, as we understand it, everybody's kind of waiting to see what the league is going to do. ... It's just my personal decision to keep these things at the forefront."

The anthem protests -- meant to draw attention to racial injustice -- have happened with varying participation since 2016, pulling the NFL into a public debate that has seen President Donald Trump call on team owners to stem them.

Friday morning, Trump took to Twitter to address the latest protests.

The NFL said it won't punish the players who took part in Thursday's protests, noting it had shelved what was supposed to be a new policy on anthem conduct until it reaches an agreement with the NFL Players Association.

In May, team owners, reacting to a significant public backlash against the protests, issued a new policy requiring that all team personnel who decide to be on the field during the song "shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem."

Players would be allowed to stay in the locker room during the anthem if they chose -- but if any team personnel did kneel on the field, the team would be fined. The teams then could decide how and whether to punish offending team personnel.

But in mid-July, the players association filed a grievance, saying the new policy infringed upon player rights and was enacted without consulting the union.

A week later, the NFL said it would put the new policy on hold so it could discuss a solution with the association.

(©2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)

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