The Houston Texans, incensed by owner Bob McNair's poorly worded description of players as "inmates," staged a mass protest during the national anthem prior to Houston's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Virtually all Texans knelt for the anthem, locking arms or holding hands on the sideline. National media in attendance put the number of players standing at about 10.
At the NFL owners' meetings last week, McNair had expressed frustration with the way that the protest had affected the NFL's business, and said, "We can't have the inmates running the prison." He apologized on at least two occasions for that unfortunate turn of phrase, but players were not convinced. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins left the Texans' facility on Friday after learning of the comments.
The Texans had discussed several options for protest prior to Sunday's game, including kneeling, sitting, remaining in the locker room during the anthem or peeling the Texans' logo off their helmets. Clearly, the protest was large, one of the most significant by any single team to date, but not unanimous.
Across the field, several Seahawks players continued to sit for the anthem, as they have done all season.
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