Buffalo Bills running back LaSean McCoy is inviting police officers to Sunday’s NFL game against Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers.
Kaepernick, known for starting a controversial movement of kneeling during the national anthem in protest of alleged police brutality, will start as the 49ers quarterback for the first time this season on Sunday. The position change comes after first-string quarterback Blaine Gabbert led the team to a 1-4 record thus far in the season.
McCoy has said his invitation to police officers for this particular game against Kaepernick is a mere coincidence, and that his foundation has been planning the move for a while.
“Just an appreciation type of thing,” McCoy said. “Because they’re taking so much heat right now. There’s things that are happening that’s definitely wrong. But I just feel like there’s bad people, there’s bad cops and there’s good cops.”
The gesture comes eight months after McCoy was involved in the assault and hospitalization of two off-duty police officers outside of a Philadelphia nightclub.
“I reached out to them,” he said. “Like I said, it has nothing to do with Kap or the situation...there’s good people and there’s bad people. There’s good cops and bad cops. So I’m just trying to show appreciation.”
McCoy has made specific remarks on Kaepernick's national anthem controversy, stating, “At the end of the day, if there’s something wrong going on, or there’s something that is dangerous, I’m sure Kap will call the cops. He’ll call 911.”
Along with kneeling during the anthem, Kaepernick has worn socks displaying police officers as pigs. After public outrage, he later released a statement saying they symbolized “rogue cops.”
