Eric Reid kneels with Kaepernick: 'It's bigger than football'

Colin Kaepernick wasn't alone this time.

During his public stance against racial inequality, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback was supported by safety Eric Reid. Both players kneeled during the "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Thursday's preseason game, a move Reid found more inclusive than sitting on the bench.

"It's something that's been on my mind all week and after talking to Colin many times, I talked to him today before the game," Reid told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. "People thought it was disrespectful for him to sit down. He was able to decide, 'What if we took a knee instead of sitting?'"

Kaepernick famously sat during the national anthem last week, in a civil rights protest against what he sees as police brutality and the oppression of people of color in America. The move drew its share of both backlash and approval, leading Kaepernick to explain his actions to teammates.

"He is taking advantage of the platform that he's given to bring awareness to a worthy cause. What's more American than that?" Reid said.

" ... Which led to the decision to not sit, but take a knee, and show respect to the people that felt hurt by that action," Reid continued. "It was very big of him to change his physical position, to take a knee to show respect to those people, but still stand up for the message he was trying to portray.

" ... This is a responsibility that he feels and a responsibility that I feel as well. It's bigger than football."

Denver Broncos tackle Russell Okung also lent his support to Kaepernick in a piece he penned for The Players' Tribune.