Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera has made it clear he will support any player who decides to take a knee during the national anthem this upcoming season. Rivera said that he spoke with Eric Reid last season when he was with the Carolina Panthers about the protests and what exactly the thought process was behind them.

Rivera also affirmed his support of Black Lives Matter (via J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington):

“We cannot be afraid to say it so I will say it again, Black Lives do matter.”

One player who has made it clear he will kneel is running back Adrian Peterson. He said, per the Houston Chronicle‘s Aaron Wilson,

“Years ago, seeing Kaepernick taking a knee, now we’re all ready to take a knee together going into this season without a doubt.”

Rivera said he is “especially proud of Dwayne Haskins and Chase Young for their actions in the Black Lives Matter movement.”

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It will be interesting in the coming weeks to see if more coaches and executives who support players who choose to kneel during the anthem like Arians, or if there will be others who make it clear that the players are still expected to stand.

When Colin Kaepernick began taking a knee during the anthem in 2016, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made it clear all of his players are expected to stand. If an owner or coach makes that type of statement again, expect a lot of pushback from players, something that Jones didn't receive a lot of when he originally announced it.