Pittsburgh Steelers, with few exceptions, don't take field for national anthem

By and large, the Pittsburgh Steelers did not take the field for the national anthem ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, a move that comes after President Donald Trump called for team owners to fire players who protest the anthem.

While some of the coaches, including head coach Mike Tomlin, were present, the lone Steelers player visible as the Star-Spangled Banner played was left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, an Army veteran and West Point grad who could be seen standing at attention outside the tunnel.

In a pregame interview with CBS, Tomlin described the decision to keep his team off the field during the anthem before their game at Soldier Field as a show of unity intended to insulate them from political pressures.

"We're not going to play politics," Tomlin told CBS. "We're football players, we're football coaches. We're not participating in the anthem today -- not to be disrespectful to the anthem, but to remove ourselves from the circumstance."

The move by the Steelers follows a show of solidarity by members of the Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens teams before their game in London. Several stars knelt during the anthem, including Terrell Suggs and Leonard Fournette. Though he did not kneel, Jaguars owner Shad Khan locked arms with his players.

These displays of unity come on the heels of remarks made by President Trump at an Alabama political rally Friday night. "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, say, 'Get that (expletive) off the field right now, he's fired. He's fired!"

Trump's comments drew widespread criticism from NFL owners, players and coaches alike, including Jaguars great Fred Taylor, who called for additional shows of protest in response.