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Goodell defended the league in response to Trump's criticism, saying that \"players are not being disrespectful\" when they protest, but emphasized that he wants to \"get back to football\" and \"stay out of politics.\"

Former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the movement more than a year ago by refusing to stand while the national anthem played before games to protest police brutality and racial inequality. Since then, athletes across the country and even around the world have joined in the protest.

\"PHOTO:
Tim Ireland/AP
PHOTO: Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football players are shown, some standing and some kneeling, during the playing of the national anthem at Wembley Stadium in London.
>

Kaepernick, now a free agent, recently filed a grievance against the NFL, alleging the league's owners colluded to keep him out of the league because of his protest actions during the national anthem. The grievance alleges the owners \"colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick's leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice.\"

Kaepernick was not invited to attend the league's quarterly meeting Tuesday, where the national anthem policy was discussed. But Kaepernick's attorney, Mark Geragos, told ABC News \"he absolutely should have been.\"

“Certain elements, especially the executive branch, have hijacked this and tried to make this an anti-military or an anti-flag [issue], and that’s not what it is. He’s said from day one that this is about giving rise to social injustice and focusing on social injustice,\" Geragos said in an interview this morning with \"Good Morning America\" anchor Michael Strahan.

\"Unfortunately, people want to change the paradigm so to speak or shift over the discussion to make this anti-American; it’s anything but,\" Geragos continued. \"It’s pro-American, it’s trying to make America exactly what it's supposed to be.\"

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