Eagles rookie Tavarres planning to sit during national anthem Thursday

Philadelphia Eagles rookie linebacker Myke Tavarres said Monday he will join Colin Kaepernick and sit out the national anthem during Thursday's preseason finale against the New York Jets.

Tavarres said he'd thought about remaining seated for The Star-Spangled Banner during Saturday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, but ultimately opted not to.

"Oh, I thought about it. Believe me, I definitely thought about it," Tavarres said of sitting Saturday night, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.

"And usually I'm front and center on the line with the rest of the guys, and that's since pre-K all the way up. Saturday's game, I stepped back, I was in the background, and it didn't feel right to me at all, and so I will be taking a stand - or sitting down - for the fourth game."

Related: Kaepernick will keep sitting during anthem

Tavarres, an undrafted rookie, was one of several players to talk during an open team forum on Monday, a source told McManus.

"We've got an issue in this country in this day and age, and I feel like somebody needs to step up and we all need to step up," Tavarres said. "We've got that right. There's just a lot going on that people don't want to talk about, and I feel like us as athletes, we're looked at as role models. And I feel like with Colin Kaepernick, he's doing a great job for standing up in what he believes in, and most people may not like that, but that's his opinion, he's entitled to it, and I respect him for doing it."

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has received support from some players for taking a stand against racial oppression in the U.S., while others have criticized his actions.