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Broncos GM John Elway Comments On Anthem Actions

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Denver Broncos President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway is commenting on the NFL players' actions during the National Anthem on Sunday.

In a statement to Broncos TV, Elway said, "I'm one that believes in standing for the national anthem, and I've always believed that. I believe that this is the greatest country in the world. We are very fortunate to live here, but it's obviously not perfect. There are a lot of things that need to be corrected, and we will continue to work on those things. I'm one that really believes in standing for the flag. I understand the players and the way they felt from the comments that were made earlier in the week. They felt that they had to go down and kneel and that's up to them. Hopefully as we go forward we can start concentrating on football a little bit more. Take the politics out of football. But I think that last week was a good show of unity by the NFL and hopefully this week we can move forward."

Elway made the statement during his weekly interview with the Broncos' website. He was referring to the players' protests during the National Anthem.

Elway's comments come days after the Broncos had an emotional start to Sunday's game, with more than half of their players taking a knee along the sideline during the national anthem. It was part of an NFL-wide protest in response to President Donald Trump suggesting owners should fire players who kneel during the anthem.

The Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders at Mile High Stadium on Sunday.

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