Rishard Matthews Says He'd Retire If NFL Changes Anthem Rules in Deleted Tweet

On Thursday, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews was asked how he would respond to the possibility of the NFL mandating players stand during the national anthem. He responded by saying he would retire before immediately deleting the tweet, according to Jaime A Cardenas of USA Today. 

You can see the since-deleted tweet below, via football writer Paul Kuharsky:

Matthews has not further elaborated on the topic since deleting his tweet.

The veteran wide receiver has remained in the tunnel during the playing of the national anthem the past two weeks, per Jason Wolf of the Tennessean. Wolf noted that Matthews' father "is a longtime Marine" and his brother "died in Afghanistan."

Matthews had previously maintained that he would kneel during the anthem after President Donald Trump called NFL players who were kneeling in protest of racial inequality and police brutality "sons of bitches" and said they should be kicked off the field or fired.

When asked last week about his decision to remain in the tunnel, Matthews noted, "I'm just glad the organization has my back and supports me," per Wolf.