Three Dolphins protest during national anthem
CHARLOTTE,N.C.— Three Dolphins continued their protest for racial equality by kneeling during the national anthem before Monday night’s game at Carolina.
Wide receiver Kenny Stills, tight end Julius Thomas and safety Michael Thomas took a knee on the sideline as servicemen held a field-sized American flag a few feet in front of them. The NFL is honoring military members throughout the month as part of its “Salute to Service” campaign, and the Panthers had servicemen lining their entrance for player introductions.
This is the second straight week the three players have knelt now that coach Adam Gase has rescinded his policy that they must stay off the field if they’re not going to stand.
The trio knelt among several standing teammates. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was to Stills’ left and put his arm around him during the anthem.
Stills and Michael Thomas have been kneeling since the beginning of last season. Julius Thomas began doing it in September in response to President Donald Trump’s inflammatory remarks about protesting NFL players.
Starters return: The Dolphins got two starters back for the Carolina game. Safety T.J. McDonald returned from an eight-game suspension, and left guard Ted Larsen also made his Miami debut after making it back from a torn biceps.
On the flip side, there was a long list of injury concerns coming into the game. Most importantly for the Dolphins, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (knee), running back Damien Williams (illness) and defensive lineman William Hayes (hamstring) were good to go. Safety and core special teams player Michael Thomas was also in question with a knee injury, but he dressed for the game.
Williams started at running back for the second straight week, sharing time with Kenyan Drake. One surprise in the backfield was the presence of linebacker Ray Maualuga lining up at fullback.
With Larsen at left guard, the rest of the starting offensive line consisted of left tackle Laremy Tunsil, center Mike Pouncey, right guard Jermon Bushrod and right tackle Jesse Davis, who’s replacing the hurt Ja’Wuan James (injured reserve with a hamstring injury).
Seahawks pick up Maxwell: The Seattle Seahawks are signing former Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell for the rest of the season, according to multiple reports.
Maxwell was a member of the famed Legion of Boom in Seattle between 2011 and 2014. In his final season in Seattle, Maxwell started 12 games, spring-boarding into a big free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But Maxwell lasted only one season in Philadelphia, shipped off to Miami along with Kiko Alonso in what amounted to salary dumps. Maxwell played down the stretch for Miami last season, helping the team into the playoffs, but was cut this season after starting only two games, and replaced by rookie Cordrea Tankersley.
In Seattle, Maxwell will attempt to fill the void left by injured cornerback Richard Sherman, who’s out for the season with an Achilles injury. Seattle’s signing of Maxwell does not impact Miami’s salary cap situation.