CNN contributor and former NFL receiver Donté Stallworth said Saturday the NFL kneeling protests are also about the "gender pay gap" and "housing discrimination" in addition to police brutality toward minorities and racism.

The former Saints and Eagles star said during an interview on CNN with anchor Ana Cabrera that, “The No. 1 stated goal was to bring awareness to a lot of these issues and again, it's a broad spectrum of issues. Again, it’s not just police brutality and community policing.

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"It’s also, again from what I’m hearing from players directly involved in these talks, they’re telling me it’s also about the gender pay gap, it’s also about housing discrimination, they have so many things that they are interested in and advocating for and they want the NFL to take ownership in and help be able to use the NFL’s platform," Stallworth added.

The commentary comes as the protest controversy received less attention than previous weeks as fewer players kneeled before Sunday's games.

Seven players, for example, kneeled before the San Francisco 49ers game against the Redskins in Washington, just one week after more than a dozen knelt before for a contest against the Indianapolis Colts, prompting Vice President Pence to exit the game shortly thereafter.

Stallworth was signed by CNN as a contributor this year. In addition to television work, Stallworth regularly speaks to NFL rookies on the dangers of drunk driving.

He served a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty in 2009 to DUI manslaughter after he struck and killed a pedestrian crossing a highway while driving drunk in Florida.

A meeting is scheduled for later this week between NFL executives, owners and the NFL Players Association union to discuss the protests, marking the third time the three entities have met to discuss the issue.

Ratings are down for the NFL this season by more than 7 percent compared to last season and down more than 18 percent when compared to 2015.