Mike Evans' protest against Donald Trump as president didn't last long. Less than 48 hours after sitting for the national anthem before the Buccaneers-Bears game out of protest over the election, the Bucs wide receiver announced he would go back to standing with his teammates.

In a statement released through his agent, the third-year wideout apologized to the military members at Raymond-James Stadium on Sunday for military appreciation day and announced he would go "back to standing with my teammates" during the anthem.

Here is Evans statement in full:

I want to start by apologizing to all the U.S. military members, their families, and the fans who I offended by my actions on Sunday. It was never my intention as I have tremendous respect for the men and women who serve our country. I have very strong emotions regarding some of the many issues that exist in our society today. I chose to sit as an expression of my frustration towards this year's election. It was very personal for me, as it was for so many Americans. With that being said, I will not sit again during the National Anthem because I want to focus my efforts on finding more effective ways to communicate my message and bring about change by supporting organizations and movements that fight for equal rights for minorities. This Sunday, I will be back to standing with my teammates.

On Monday, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter was asked about Evans protest and was clearly a little flustered by how the situation developed out from underneath him. He had previously stated the team practices standing during the anthem.

Evans sat for the anthem prior to the game and, when asked after why he did so, said it was because he believed Trump elected as President of the United States was "a joke."

Several factors may have contributed to Evans decision here. One, Trump probably isn't going anywhere. So if he's going to commit to sitting during the anthem, it's a pretty long commitment (four years, maybe eight).

And two, there was a significant backlash against Evans' protest. Some of the backlash came from people who questioned why he didn't vote -- Evans appears to have said he didn't on Instagram -- if he doesn't like the country's choice of president.

A lot more backlash came from fans on social media. All of his Instagram photos are full of angry comments about his decision, including from fans of the team and veterans of the military.

Finally, it's safe to say the club wasn't thrilled with the move. The Bucs are 4-5, have a young team and a first-year head coach and are trying to make a push for the playoffs. Koetter said he was "disappointed" with Evans decision but did support his freedoms.

This is the sort of the thing that can mushroom quickly, however, and maybe Evans didn't want the attention and scrutiny, both internal and external.