Sunday Night Football host Cris Collinsworth called for President Trump to apologize for calling NFL players who kneel during the national anthem “sons of bitches.”

Fellow host Mike Tirico opened up the broadcast by asking Collinsworth what he would say to Trump if they were talking now.

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“I would say he should apologize,” Collinsworth said. “They’re not SOBs, they’re smart thoughtful guys, they really are.”

Collinsworth said that the players and Trump both “want a better America” but that “their version of how to get there is different than the president, I understand that.”

“But I guarantee you if the president invited — I can make a list of 10 guys — to the White House and heard their stories and heard their thoughts and heard how concerned they are about America, they would find the common ground and they would move this forward.”

“And I think an apology for the SOB comment would go a long way,” Collinsworth added.

Trump has faced intense backlash after referring to any NFL player who kneels during the national anthem as a “son of a bitch” and calling for them to be fired.

Players responded by continuing to kneel during the anthem at games, with more doing so and others locking their arms in solidarity. Three teams chose to remain in their locker rooms during the anthem.