Brandon Marshall Says Colin Kaepernick Is 'Patriot' for National Anthem Protest

New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall has stood in support of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his decision to sit during the playing of the national anthem. 

In an interview with WFAN's Boomer and Carton (h/t ESPN.com's Rich Cimini) on Tuesday, Marshall said the following regarding Kaepernick and his cause: "This guy, he's one of the biggest patriots out there. Because he's standing up for human rights."

Among the biggest critiques of Kaepernick's protest has been the notion that it is disrespectful to those who have fought to defend the freedom of those in the United States, but Marshall views it differently:

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I think President Obama said it best: That's his constitutional right. But I do think this is very thought-provoking for all. ... I think that the message was a little diluted because of how much respect a lot of us have for those that served. … [They] gave us our freedoms, fought for our freedoms. But the message was clear.

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Marshall also offered his own interpretation of what the American flag represents:

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The only thing that I would love for everyone to really think about is: What does the American flag mean to them?

When I look at the American flag, I see a bunch of fights. You know how much we have overcome. When you look at it, the American flag is bigger than just one thing. And you have the civil rights movement, you have sex trafficking, you have immigration law. There's so many different fights there. And we have to be aware that it's bigger than one person and one thing.

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The 32-year-old wideout has long been outspoken on racial issues, and he has expressed his concerns and opinions on them as a member of Showtime's Inside the NFL.

Kaepernick's protest has been divisive, but many have backed him as of late, including teammate Eric Reid and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane, both of whom joined his cause.

While Kaepernick lost the Niners' starting quarterback battle to Blaine Gabbert, he has made it clear he intends to continue sitting during The Star-Spangled Banner.    

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