Titans Pro Bowler says he will still protest during anthem, accept fine

Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey said he would continue to protest injustice during the national anthem, even if it means a fine.

At an NFL event in London, Casey said he was not going to let the league dictate what he would do, and would continue raising his fist at the end of the anthem in protest.

“I’m going to take a fine this year, why not?” Casey said, via Motez Bishara of CNN. “I’m going to protest during the flag. That’s what I’m going to say now.

“I’m going to take my fine. It is what it is, I ain’t going to let them stop me from doing what I want to do. If they want to have these battles between players and organizations, this is the way it’s going to be.”

Unless he decides to change his approach and kneel, it’s not clear if Casey would be punished for simply raising a fist in the air, as it doesn’t fall under inappropriate behavior in the NFL’s new guidelines. It’s a statement all the same, as Casey is the first player to say he’ll risk a fine in order to protest. It’s also likely a sign of things to come. If anything, the NFL’s policy may have emboldened some players to do more protesting.