Some NFL coaches and owners - unlike most players - have been hesitant to directly criticize Donald Trump following his comments calling for those protesting during the anthem to be fired.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan may be in his first season in his position, but he's already prepared to speak his mind when it comes to Trump's remarks.
"I was pretty bothered by it," Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday regarding Trump’s comments last Friday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I think the same way most people were. I think I’ve got a lot of regard for that position. I have my whole life. It’s a very important, big position to be the leader of our country and when you hear something like that, it definitely bothered me, especially when he’s calling out people that you’re associated with.
"But the most bothersome thing is how everyone sees that position in our country and you expect that position to be the best leader possible and when I think of being a leader, I think of bringing people together. All I know is the quotes I read and when I read those quotes, I think that’s the opposite of what you’re expecting."
Shanahan's opinions certainly aren't different from most of those within his organization. CEO Jed York criticized Trump for his "callous, offensive" comments. Safety Eric Reid, who was the first to kneel along side Colin Kaepernick a year ago, recently wrote a piece published by the New York Times detailing his account of the first steps of the NFL protest movement.
