Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest has made its way into the regular season.

Prior to the start of the season opener between the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall remained — like Kaepernick did the past few weeks of the preseason — on one knee.

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Marshall, the only player believed to be kneeling during the anthem, and Kaepernick were college teammates for three seasons at Nevada from 2008 to 2010. After tackling Panthers running back Fozzy Whittaker in the second quarter, Marshall went into the locker room and appeared to be evaluated for a possible concussion but returned to the sideline before halftime.

The Broncos responded to Marshall’s move in a statement, saying, “While we encourage members of our organization to stand during the National Anthem, we understand and respect it being a personal decision.”

The Kaepernick protest, whether people agree with it or not, has remained a hot topic since he refused to stand in the team’s third preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 27. Kaepernick explained that he wasn’t going to “stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color” and that his protest would remain until he saw positive change.

Since then, other players, including 49ers teammate Eric Reid, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane and now Marshall have done the same. The Seahawks have said they plan to do something as a team during the anthem on Sunday before their game against the Miami Dolphins.

Coincidentally, the “other” Brandon Marshall — the New York Jets receiver and ex-Bronco — has been one of Kaepernick’s biggest supporters.

More on Kaepernick controversy

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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