Marshawn Lynch sits for national anthem prior to preseason game against Cardinals

Prior to the Oakland Raiders’ preseason matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, running back Marshawn Lynch sat down on the bench during the national anthem.

One of the hottest topics of discussion this past season in the NFL was the protesting of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and thanks to Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch, that topic will be discussed even further as the regular season draws closer.

Before Lynch and the Raiders faced the Arizona Cardinals in preseason action on Saturday night, Lynch took a seat for the national anthem. Kaepernick did the same thing prior to a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers last August that sparked the whole discussion about the silent protesting for injustices in the United States.

Lynch, who has vocally supported Kaepernick in the past, a former quarterback on the biggest rival during Lynch’s time in Seattle with the Seahawks, sat down as the national anthem played on Saturday before kickoff.

Whether you agree with the protesting that’s been done by NFL players across the league or you don’t, Lynch taking a seat during the national anthem is a note-worthy matter. The man could run for mayor of Oakland and win in a landslide. He’s one of the most popular figures in the city of Oakland and in the state of California for that matter. He has the respect of many peers across the league and players themselves are big fans of the one they call Beast Mode.

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As seen in previous instances, Lynch isn’t much a talker in front of the camera, so it will be interesting to see what the fallout is. When Kaepernick sat last summer, it didn’t take long for the protesting to become not only an NFL topic of discussion, but a country-wide discussion that was had.