Rival 49ers, Seahawks share 'extensive conversations' on protests

The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have found common ground.

Bitter division rivals and former NFC Championship-game combatants, members of both teams have come together over 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's mission to bring social inequality and police brutality against people of color to light. Kaepernick began by sitting on the bench for the national anthem ahead of games and has since taken a knee instead. The Seahawks locked arms during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before both of their games.

Since, members of both teams have shared "extensive conversations" on the public protests, Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.

Former Seahawk and 49er Ricardo Lockette put Baldwin in touch with Kaepernick.

"He's a very intellectual human being," Baldwin said. "He's very intelligent, very thoughtful and very passionate, obviously. I didn't know him as a person. I only knew him as a football player. But, obviously, getting to speak to him and getting to know him a little bit more, you can tell he has got a lot of depth to him.

"Obviously, we wouldn't be having this conversation if it wasn't for him bringing it to light. So he's stood on the table and shouted and got everybody's attention. And now we have to work on the follow-through collectively."

Baldwin said the two plan to keep the conversation going and have discussed how they can make an impact in communities in need.

It's a far cry from when the Seahawks and 49ers had the most heated rivalry in the league.

"Well, (the media) painted that," Baldwin said. "Nobody looked at anybody as an enemy, so to speak. This is just our job. It's our occupation, so we had no ill will toward Kaepernick in any way."