(CNN) Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said Monday that he didn't understand why President Donald Trump would "stoop so low" as to say that NFL owners should fire any "son of a bitch" who stages a protest during the National Anthem.

"I just couldn't fathom that would come from the leader of America," Bennett told CNN's Anderson Cooper on "AC360." "At the same time, I knew that it would be something that would unite us as players."

On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans remained in their locker rooms during the National Anthem.

Bennett explained what went into his team's decision to not appear in the stadium for the anthem.

"We wanted to be able to find a way not to put anybody in the limelight," Bennett said. "We made a decision as a team to stand for what we believe in."

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