Mayfield 'absolutely' will kneel during anthem

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield vowed to kneel during the U.S. national anthem this season in an Instagram comment Saturday.

"Pull your head out," Mayfield wrote in a reply to a comment asking him not to protest. "I absolutely am."

Mayfield, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, wasn't in the league when Colin Kaepernick sparked league-wide demonstrations against racial inequality and police brutality during the national anthem in 2016.

The quarterback then addressed those who criticized his response.

"Everybody so upset about my comment doesn't understand the reasoning behind kneeling in the first place," Mayfield wrote in an Instagram story. "(Former Green Beret) Nate (Boyer) and Kap came to an agreement that kneeling was the most respectful way to support our military while also standing up for equality.

"I have the utmost respect for our military, cops, and people that serve OUR country. It's about equality and everybody being treated the same because we are all human. It's been ignored for too long and that is my fault as well for not becoming more educated and staying silent.

"If I lose fans, that's OK. I've always spoken my mind. And that's from the heart."

The third-year pro recently showed his support for the Black Lives Matter cause by donning an "I can't breathe" shirt during a workout. The last words of George Floyd, a black man killed in the custody of Minneapolis police, have become a rallying cry against racial injustice across the U.S. and the world.

Other white quarterbacks, including Carson Wentz and 2020 No. 1 pick Joe Burrow, have publically called for more support for the black community amid protests triggered by Floyd's death.