Titans Player Says He’ll Pay Fine and Continue NFL Anthem Protests

Defensive end Jurrell Casey thinks other NFL players will follow his lead.

Tennessee Titans defensive end Jurrell Casey (99) late in the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on January 6, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.  The Titans came back from a 21-3 deficit at halftime to win 22-21.  (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tennessee Titans defensive end Jurrell Casey (99) late in the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on January 6, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The Titans came back from a 21-3 deficit at halftime to win 22-21. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

If he commits the crime of (essentially) speaking his mind, Jurrell Casey will pay the fine.

During an interview with CNN, Tennessee Titans defensive end Jurrell Casey said he plans to remain on the field to protest during the national anthem despite the NFL’s decision to implement a new policy this offseason that strictly prohibits doing that.

The policy requires players, coaches, and team personnel who do not wish to stand for the anthem to stay in the locker room and penalizes those that violate the rule with a fine.

According to the defensive star, he will keep protesting and pay any fines that are levied.

“I’m going to take my fine,” Casey said. “It is what it is, I ain’t going to let them stop me from doing what I want to do. If they want to have these battles between players and organizations, this is the way it’s going to be.”

Casey, who got $40 million guaranteed when he signed a four-year extension worth $60.4 million overall in 2017, said he thinks other players will follow his lead in their own manner.

“Around the NFL, guys are definitely not happy about it,” he said. “I don’t think it was a good decision for the NFL to come up with that ruling. But they have their reasons for what they’ve done.”

The 28-year-old Pro Bowler also said he thinks Colin Kaepernick, one of the originators of the protests, deserves another shot in the league. He is currently suing the NFL for collusion.

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