ON THE FALCONS BEAT
ON THE FALCONS BEAT

All Falcons stood for national anthem

By
Sept 7, 2018

All the Falcons stood during the singing of the national anthem before facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the regular-season opener on Thursday.

Most of the players had their hands over the chests.

All of the Eagles stood, but near the end of song, Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett went to the bench, sat down and appeared to be tying his shoes.

Over several seasons, players around the NFL have knelt during the national anthem to protest racial and social injustices in the country.

About the Author

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

Follow D. Orlando Ledbetter on facebookFollow D. Orlando Ledbetter on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Jamal Agnew fumbles the ball against the New York Jets during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Adam Hunger/AP)

Credit: Adam Hunger/AP

On the hot seat for Falcons: Special teams haven’t been very special

After basically costing the team the game against the Jets, Atlanta's special teams units will be on the hot seat when they face the Seahawks Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

X-factor Sunday: Can the Falcons run the ball vs. Seattle’s stout defense?

Seattle has the No. 2-ranked run defense in the NFL. The Seahawks, who defeated Minnesota 26-0 on Sunday, are coming off their first shutout since 2015.

Falcons will be without two key starters for Sunday’s matchup vs. Seahawks

The Latest

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Jamal Agnew fumbles the ball against the New York Jets during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Adam Hunger/AP)

Credit: Adam Hunger/AP

On the hot seat for Falcons: Special teams haven’t been very special

X-factor Sunday: Can the Falcons run the ball vs. Seattle’s stout defense?

Falcons will be without two key starters for Sunday’s matchup vs. Seahawks

Featured

Former Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman talks to her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, after she testified before the U.S. House Select Committee at its fourth hearing on its Jan. 6 investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS)

Credit: TNS

OPINION

The 2020 election interference case is gone, but it can’t be forgotten

The decision by a Georgia prosecutor not to pursue the massive Trump election interference case leaves some bad deeds unpunished.

Officials to install opioid reversal kits in Georgia’s public schools

The kits will contain Narcan, which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and restore breathing.

Odom-led comeback nets Conference USA championship for Kennesaw State

The Owls continue to be one of the most intriguing stories of the season, going from a two-win season to a conference title and beating the defending league champions.