GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that he meets with his players every year to discuss the national anthem.
McCarthy revealed that while answering a question about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit down for the national anthem, which was first noticed against the Packers on Friday.
While McCarthy said he didn’t want to get into the actions of another team or player, he called it an “educational opportunity.”
“We talk about the national anthem each and every year prior to our first preseason game and how we conduct ourselves during the national anthem,” McCarthy said. “But I think when you do get to a situation where there are social issues, I think everybody – players and coaches alike – feel there is a responsibility to stand up for that. With that, that’s where the communication between you and your football team takes place, and you respect each and every man for where they came from and who they are.
“With that, it’s more about not what they stand up for but really when. And I think those are the types of things that you work through.”
