Marcus Ball Suspects Panthers Released Him for Gesture During National Anthem

Defensive back Marcus Ball wrote a piece for The MMQB that was published Sunday in which he discussed the possibility the Carolina Panthers cut him in 2016 because of a gesture he made during the national anthem.

Carolina lost a September contest to the Minnesota Vikings that season in what was Ball's first game since he was elevated to the roster from the practice squad. He pointed his hand skyward during the anthem and was released before the team's next game.

He said he'd received a missed call and text from the Panthers two days after the game to bring his playbook to the team office. "But this seemed strange," he wrote. "I had just been promoted and dressed for my first game. And I hadn't done anything that anyone would consider wrong. At least not during the game."

He explained his reasoning for making the gesture:

"Before kickoff, they played the national anthem, as they always do. I stood. I honored the flag. I prayed. I sang. But I also acknowledged the protests and recent events that had been building around the country and recently in Charlotte. (That very week, a black man had been fatally shot by a police officer in the city.) During the anthem, I made a gesture, holding up my right hand with my index finger pointing toward the sky to God."

Ball went on to explain he thought the country needed unity at the time and was attempting to express those sentiments.

While Carolina ultimately re-signed him to the practice squad ("perhaps to cover up the fact that I was released only three days after finally being activated," Ball wondered), he finished the campaign on the San Francisco 49ers and tallied four combined tackles in five games.

The timing of Ball's piece is notable; he said he grew suspicious of the motivation behind his release again after reading the report from Sports Illustrated that detailed former Panthers employees reaching monetary settlements with the organization because of inappropriate workplace conduct from owner Jerry Richardson.

The story noted Richardson directed a racial slur at an African-American scout, which Ball referenced in his article.

The defensive back pointed out how Richardson did not want his players to kneel during the national anthem as a way of protesting police brutality and racial inequality like Colin Kaepernick had done while he was on the 49ers, and was left wondering if his gesture led to his release even if he stood during the song.

Ball at least had the opportunity to play for San Francisco after Carolina released him, as Kaepernick never signed with a team during the 2017 season and filed a grievance against the league owners for collusion.