Cincinnati Bengals consider staying in locker room, kneeling during Week 1 national anthem

On the heels of walking to the National Underground Railroad Freedom to make a unified statement on standing against racial injustice, the Cincinnati Bengals are mulling the idea of a Week 1 demonstration as a part of their continuation of efforts.

Multiple people within the organization, speaking on condition of anonymity because no final decision had been made, informed the USA TODAY Network that the Bengals have had internal discussions about staying in the locker room or kneeling during the national anthem before Sunday’s game at Paul Brown Stadium.

A final verdict hasn’t been made, but the team is contemplating both silent protests to bring more attention to police brutality and systemic racism. And they’re not alone, other teams across the league have also had similar talks, including the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2016, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the first NFL player to take a knee during the national anthem as a form of protest against systemic racism and police brutality. Kaepernick knelt for the entire season. The quarterback became a free agent following the 2016 season and remains unsigned. Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid, who also knelt , filed separate lawsuits accusing the NFL of colluding to prevent them from securing a contract as a free agent. Kaepernick, Reid and the NFL reached confidential settlements on their respective lawsuits in 2019.

The NFL issued a league-wide memo in July to announce the messages “It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” will be stenciled on all end zone borders for home openers. The NFL is also planning to have extensive content regarding social injustice throughout Week 1, and every Week 1 contest will feature a prerecorded version of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which is often referred to as the Black National Anthem.

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The Bengals are scheduled to play the Chargers at 4:05 p.m. Sunday with no fans in attendance.