Ron Rivera will support players who kneel for national anthem

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Washington running back Adrian Peterson said recently that he will take a knee during the national anthem this season to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

That action will come with the support of head coach Ron Rivera. Rivera told reporters on a video conference call Wednesday that he spoke with safety Eric Reid about the protests when both of them were in Carolina last season and got a fuller understanding of what players like Reid, Colin Kaepernick and others are striving for with their demonstrations.

“We cannot be afraid to say it so I will say it again, Black Lives do matter,” Rivera said, via J.P. Finlay of NBCSportsWashington.com.

Rivera said he’s “especially proud” of the actions players like Dwayne Haskins and Chase Young have taken to push for equality and that the team will be holding town hall meetings to continue communication around the organization about those matters.