As the NFL’s 2016 season got underway on the weekend, Miami Dolphins players, from left, Jelani Jenkins, Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, and Kenny Stills, knelt during the singing of the national anthem before their game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Seattle. 

“I chose to get involved to see if I could create change, raise awareness. And I want to make it clear that there is no disrespect to the military or to police officers -- I’m not about that. I love everyone,” said Miami’s Jelani Jenkins.

“I don’t think it was any lack of respect,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said. “I think everybody here, our team and our whole organization, respects the flag and what it stands for, the soldiers and everything. These guys are really making a conversation of something that’s a very important topic in this country and I’m 100 percent supportive of them.”

Seattle Seahawks players and coaches, including cornerback Richard Sherman (25) and head coach Pete Carroll, second from left, stand and link arms during the singing of the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Seattle. 

Seattle Seahawks‘ Cassius Marsh stands with teammates as they link arms during the singing of the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Seattle. 

Seattle’s locker room was engaged in a lengthy discussion over the past few weeks about what type of message to send. The players enlisted coach Pete Carroll in the discussions almost from the start.

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who became a default spokesman for Seattle’s actions, said the players are working to schedule a meeting with the mayor of Seattle and local law enforcement.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Steven Means (51), strong safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) and defensive back Ron Brooks (33) raise their arms during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Chicago. 

Jenkins said Saturday he would lead teammates in a demonstration against social injustice. He insisted the protest would not be “an anti-police thing” and that police “are a key part of the solution in this issue.”

Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Marcus Peters raises his fist in the air as the national anthem plays before Sunday’s football game against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 11, 2016 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Several teams, including the Chiefs and Seahawks, saw their players link arms during the anthem. Peters, the 2015 defensive rookie of the year, was the last person in the Chiefs line and had his arm free to raise it.

San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (35) joined teammate Colin Kaepernick to kneel during the playing of the national anthem before a NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. 

Denver Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall (L), a teammate of Kaepernick’s in college at Nevada, kneels on the sideline during the national anthem prior to an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, in Denver.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane remains seated as the national anthem plays before a preseason NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. 

Teammate Doug Baldwin tweeted his support of both Lane and Kaepernick: “Don’t tell me you just disagree with the methods. You really mean to say you disagree with the cause.” In another tweet, he elaborated: “To change the status quo you have to upset the status quo. Not by going with the flow. You have to stand/sit for what you believe in.” 

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe kneels during the national anthem prior to the match between the United States and the Netherlands at Georgia Dome on September 18, 2016 in Atlanta.

Rapinoe had first knelt during the national anthem before her National Women’s Soccer League game against the Chicago Red Stars. She told American Soccer Now’s John D. Halloran that it was “a nod to Kaepernick.” Rapinoe also told espnW’s Julie Foudy that she was “disgusted” with the way Kaepernick was being treated. The United States Soccer Federation decided not to take disciplinary action. 

Commenting on Kaepernick’s protest, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors told CNBC’s Sara Eisen, “I applaud him for taking a stand and hopefully the conversation is about what his message was and not ‘is he going to stand or is he going to sit for the national anthem’ or whoever it is. The conversation is started and should continue.” 

Kaeperinick’s protest has come in the wake of other symbolic gestures by athletes over controversial police killings of blacks. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant wore a t-shirt during warm-ups before a 2014 game against the Sacramento Kings to show support for the family of Eric Garner, who died after a New York police officer put him in a chokehold.

Miami Heat players make a political statement by donning hoodies in protest over the 2012 shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed, in Sandford, Florida. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade posted the photos to Twitter to publicize their action with the hashtags #WeAreTrayvonMartin and #WeWantJustice on March 23, 2012. 

St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams) wide receiver Tavon Austin puts his hands up to show support for protests over the death of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown, before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, November 30, 2014.

Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay wore a shirt reading “I Can’t Breathe” before a game against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California, December 11, 2014. 

St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams) wide receiver Stedman Bailey (12), wide receiver Tavon Austin (11), tight end Jared Cook (89), wide receiver Chris Givens (13), and wide receiver Kenny Britt (81) put their hands up to show support for protests over the death of Michael Brown before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, November 30, 2014. 

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving wears an “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt for warm-ups prior to a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, December 8, 2014.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James wears an “ I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt during warm-ups prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, December 8, 2014.