Pat Tillman's Widow Marie Issues Statement on NFL Players Kneeling During Anthem

Pat Tillman's widow released a statement Monday regarding the uptick in protests during the national anthem in Week 3 of the NFL season.

According to CNN's Brian Stelter, Marie Tillman said the following about the situation:

Pat Tillman was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals and died in Afghanistan in 2004 after leaving the NFL to serve in the military.

Last week, President Donald Trump was highly critical of NFL players who demonstrate during the anthem, saying they are "hurting the game," per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

Trump also suggested he would like to see players who protest get released: "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired! He's fired!'"

His comments resulted in a high number of demonstrations in Week 3, involving some players kneeling and some teams locking arms during the playing of the anthem.

Some teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, decided against coming onto the field until after the national anthem.

Trump has made several more comments on the matter on Twitter, including his observations about what happened during Sunday's games:

Many NFL players have spoken out against Trump's rhetoric, and the league itself released a statement on behalf of Commissioner Roger Goodell condemning the president's stance.

The next opportunity for players to protest during the anthem will come Thursday when the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears in Week 4.