The NFL surely doesn’t need another national anthem issue right now.
Yet, a video circulating online has cast the Chicago Bears in a controversial light due to a player’s behavior during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Sometimes, it only takes one clip.
‘Don’t pray to Allah during OUR national anthem!’
Prior to the Bears’ matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday, wide receiver Kalif Raymond was filmed on the field at Soldier Field in Chicago, seemingly praying on his hands and knees during the anthem.
He stood up during the last 20 seconds of the anthem, remaining silent and still.
Raymond had also been seen in a similar position before the Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, again at Soldier Field.
Some fans interpreted his actions as indicative of him being a Muslim.
“Don’t pray to Allah during OUR national anthem!” declared radio host Grant Stinchfield in a post.
Conversely, other fans pointed out that Raymond attended a private Christian high school in Georgia, as well as the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is a Jesuit institution.
In fact, just last Thursday, the Bears shared a YouTube video featuring Raymond, where he was recorded saying, “I’m going to thank Lord Jesus first.”
Additionally, back in 2022, he expressed gratitude, saying he was “just thankful that the Lord blessed me” after receiving a game ball for his performance.
Nevertheless, some fans still deemed his display disrespectful towards the anthem.
“Is this respectful during the National Anthem?” one post queried.
A response echoed, “Anyone disrespecting the national anthem like this (or kneeling) should be fined and suspended.”
The NFL’s most notorious anthem controversy arose when quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem in 2016, which he described as a protest against injustice and police brutality:
“I am not going to stand to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick explained back then.
Following his lead, many other players protested in similar ways, including retired Ray Lewis, who joined a protest but opted to kneel on both knees.
Famous instances of prayer in the NFL also include former quarterback Tim Tebow, who popularized “Tebowing,” which meant taking a knee in the end zone to pray after scoring.
The NFL’s rulebook does not detail conduct during the national anthem specifically.
However, during the peak of kneeling controversies, reports referenced a league Game Operations Manual that encouraged players to stand, even though it wasn’t mandatory. An NFL communications vice president confirmed this in 2017.
Although the previously available operations manual is no longer online, the current version mentions the anthem only in terms of timing.
The Bears organization has not responded to a request for comment on this situation.
