Titans' Jurrell Casey to protest during national anthem: 'I'm going to take my fine'

Jason Wolf | The Tennessean

Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey intends to protest during the national anthem this season, and will pay whatever fine is handed down by the team, he told CNN on Wednesday in an interview during a promotional event in London.

"I'm going to take my fine," Casey said. "It is what it is, I ain't going to let them stop me from doing what I want to do. If they want to have these battles between players and organizations, this is the way it's going to be."

Jurrell Casey plans on taking fine for national anthem protest The NFL this offseason attempted to diminish on-field protests during the national anthem by instituting a rule that such actions would result in a fine Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey told CNN isnt going to let a fine stop him deter him from

Casey, a three-time Pro Bowl lineman entering his eighth year in the NFL, has raised a fist after the playing of the national anthem before each game the last two seasons. He said that form of protest was because he “wanted to be respectful.”

The Titans signed Casey to a four-year, $60.4 million contract extension last season.

Players have protested racial inequality and police brutality during the national anthem for two seasons, ever since former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began sitting and then kneeling during the anthem during the 2016 preseason.

President Donald Trump has been vocal about players standing during the anthem, and the NFL passed a rule this offseason stipulating that players must stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem or remain out of public view in the locker room.

NFL fines will be billed to teams, which can enforce pre-game anthem observation as they choose. The amount of the fines have been unspecified.

Will NFL anthem controversy continue in 2018? USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell on the latest chapter of the NFL national anthem saga, and why fans shouldn't expect it to die down soon.

Kaepernick, who has been unable to land a job, has filed a grievance against the NFL for collusion.

Casey said Kaepernick deserves to have a team sign him.

"I think he definitely deserves it," Casey said. "For all these trash quarterbacks you see that get a shot, that come in and sit on the bench all day, you got a starting quarterback that's out there that can go out there and play.

"You know he has the skill set to be a starting quarterback, and you hold him out just because he is speaking his mind. At the end of the day it speaks (volumes) on what these people really think about you."

No Titans have ever kneeled during the national anthem, though several have joined Casey in raising a fist, and wide receiver Rishard Matthews chose to remain in the locker room during the anthem before nearly every game last season.

Casey told CNN that he had not spoken to coach Mike Vrabel or any of his teammates about the decision, but said other players are likely to continue protesting this season.

"Around the NFL, guys are definitely not happy about it," Casey said. "I feel it's not right, I don't think it was a good decision for the NFL to come up with that ruling. But they have their reasons for what they've done."

Casey said he is unconcerned about negative feedback from fans.

Titans tight end Delanie Walker said he received death threats last season after saying that fans who felt insulted by protests during the anthem did not have to attend games.

"There is always going to be blowback, that is what America is about," Casey said.

"They always like to go on social media and go hard. It is what it is, at the end of the day, I don't pay no mind to it. I'm going to do what I do that's going to bring light to my community.

"At the end of the day we got to do a job," Casey said. "But I will continue to use my platform to keep on speaking up."

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter at @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.

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