Browns coach Hue Jackson doesn't want to see his players protesting

Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson said he respects NFL players' rights to protest. But that doesn't mean he wants to see players from his team kneeling during the national anthem this season, citing patriotism as the main reason.

"I think everybody has a right to (protest), and I get it, but the national anthem means a lot to myself personally, the organization and our football team," Jackson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I hope — and again I can't speak, I haven't really talked to our team about it — I would hope that we don't have those issues.

“I understand there is a lot going on in the world. I like to just keep it here. What we deal with, we try to deal with as a team in our closed environment. We talk about things. Hopefully, that won’t happen. I can’t tell you it won’t happen, but I just know our guys, and I don’t think that is where our focus is." 

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This preseason, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch have protested — following the lead of free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick from last season. Kaepernick, who kneeled during the anthem last year, is still searching for a job.