



Jack Del Rio has voiced his opinion on Colin Kaepernick's recent decision not to stand for the national anthem, which has transcended the NFL world and sparked a heated conversation across the country.

Speaking on behalf of the entire organization, Del Rio said the Oakland Raiders are expected to "respect the flag" and stand during the playing of the national anthem.

Via Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area:

"The best way to look at it is that, in America, we as individuals all have freedoms. That’s one of the things that makes our country great. We may not always like or appreciate that someone is expressing themselves. For us, it’s more about recognizing that you’re part of an organization and you’re representing it. "Our organization believes that you should pay respect to the flag. Save those individual decisions to express yourself for an individual forum. That’s how we feel, in talking with Mark Davis about how our team and organization feels about it. That’s in line with my thinking as well."

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This statement echoed a message Del Rio tweeted to his 23.4 thousand followers over the weekend.

I Appreciate the sacrifices of the brave who have fought for our freedom. We R Free to choose. I choose to ♥? ????!! https://t.co/w585LWAXhi — Jack Del Rio (@coachdelrio) August 27, 2016

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who met with members of the Bay Area media after Del Rio, said he is friendly with Kaepernick but will not follow in his footsteps when it comes to his protest of the national anthem.

Watch Del Rio and Carr make their comments on the issue in the videos below: