An American flag will blanket most of Jack Murphy Field. It’ll be held by 240 Marines, sailors and soldiers. Steven Powell, a petty officer 1st class from the U.S. Navy, will sing the national anthem. His voice will bellow from the speakers at Qualcomm Stadium: “O say can you see!”

It will be a sight.

For it, most eyes will be on Colin Kaepernick.

The 49ers quarterback has made a political stand this preseason, choosing to sit during the pre-game national anthem. His statement and the crowd response, if any, are points of interest before the Chargers and 49ers kick off Thursday at 7 p.m.


The moment is one of five things to watch.

Jatavis Brown: He missed the first three exhibition games, but finally, it seems, Brown is set for his preseason debut. “There’s a really good chance he’ll play, but we’ll see how he’s feeling tomorrow,” coach Mike McCoy said Wednesday. “But more than likely, he’ll play for some amount of time.” The Chargers inside linebacker and rookie fifth-round pick missed weeks of action to an ankle injury. He’s shown sideline-to-sideline speed in practice, his athleticism similar to that of a defensive back. Brown figures to contribute mostly on special teams to begin 2016, especially considering the time he missed.

Star-Spangled Banner: Which will be more American: the anthem rendition and giant flag Thursday or the man on the sideline, exercising his right to peaceful protest? Kaepernick has vowed not to stand for the national anthem, saying his gesture represents a condemnation of the racial inequality he perceives as prevalent in the country. “Yes, I’ll continue to sit,” Kaepernick told Bay Area reporters on Sunday. “I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel like the flag represents what it’s supposed to represent (and) this country is representing people the way it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.” Kaepernick has sat before each exhibition game. Thursday marks the first time the public has been aware of the act beforehand. That the game is in San Diego, a city with a strong military presence, is fitting. Some have called the quarterback’s gesture disrespectful to armed forces. Kaepernick’s presence also coincides with the Chargers’ 28th annual Salute to the Military. It is important to note, however, many military members support Kaepernick’s right to protest — such rights are those they’ve sworn to protect — and Kaepernick said Sunday he has “great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country.”

Kickoff returner: Craig Mager returned kickoffs for one season at Texas State. Perhaps, he will again in the NFL. The second-year Chargers cornerback has seen practice reps at kickoff returner, a role that was vacated Sunday when the team lost running back Branden Oliver to a torn Achilles tendon. Mager, along with wide receivers Isaiah Burse and DeAndre Reaves, should see work against the 49ers. There is a chance the person who will handle this role during the season is not on the current 75-man roster, but Mager hopes to show he can handle the job. “It’s a cool opportunity,” Mager said. “Definitely a big task. We kind of were in a special teams lull last season, so shoot, I just want to go back there and help us win some hidden-yardage battles.” The Chargers were second-worst in the NFL last season in average field position after a kickoff, starting at their own 19.9-yard line.


Mike Bercovici: Mistakes are a valuable teacher. Last Sunday, Bercovici had a mixed outing, one that saw him complete four of 12 passes against the Vikings for 67 yards with two interceptions. On his first pick, he forced a ball downfield when he had two players — tight end Matt Weiser and running back Dreamius Smith — open underneath. “You never throw an interception with the intention of throwing an interception,” said Bercovici, an undrafted rookie from Arizona State. “I think the biggest thing is there are so many parts to being out there; you see the first-down marker. All you can think about is pressing and making the big throw when really, all you need to do is take a step (back), see the situation and maybe throw a checkdown. On every interception I’ve had so far this preseason, there has always been another option on the field where I could take away the thought of having a big play and check it down.” Bercovici is the Chargers’ third quarterback behind Philip Rivers and Kellen Clemens. Clemens will start the game and Bercovici will finish it, vying for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Ben Gardner: It wasn’t close. Vikings right tackle Jeremiah Sirles, a former Charger, was still in his stance Sunday when Gardner burst off the edge, speeding past to strip-sack quarterback Joel Stave. The third-quarter play counted as 70 points in the linebacker scoring system, which coaches use to grade game film. “It was by far my best game production-wise,” Gardner said. “But it’s the nature of the game. Some weeks, you’re facing the double-teams and doing the dirty jobs. In other weeks, you’re out in open space more, and you’re the guy that’s got to make the plays.” The strong-side outside linebacker has another chance Thursday. He and Tourek Williams figure to be busy as the team rests key players. How Gardner responds to significant playing time, both on defense and special teams, will be weighed when coaches finalize their 53-man roster by Saturday at 1 p.m.