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Seahawks, Titans remain in locker room during anthem

Geoff Burke / USA TODAY Sports

(Warning: Story contains coarse language)

The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans chose to remain in their locker rooms during the national anthem ahead of their Week 3 game Sunday.

Prior to the game, they released individual statements explaining their actions.

The Seahawks stated they will remain in the locker room as a protest of racial injustice:

As a team, we have decided we will not participate in the national anthem. We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country. Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms. We remain committed in continuing to work towards equality and justice for all.

The Titans made a team decision to stay off the field for the anthem:

As a team, we wanted to be unified in our actions today. The players jointly decided this was the best course of action. Our commitment to the military and our community is resolute and the absence of our team for the national anthem shouldn't be misconstrued as unpatriotic.

The Pittsburgh Steelers chose not to come out of the locker room for the anthem earlier in the day, as head coach Mike Tomlin wanted to shield his players from having to decide between protesting or standing for the anthem.

The actions come after President Donald Trump implored NFL owners to fire any "son of a bitch" that protests during the national anthem.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll denounced Trump's comments, stating "it's time to take a stand."

Teams that are not on the field for the anthem are typically subject to fines, but the Seahawks, Titans, and Steelers reportedly won't be, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

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