Brandon Marshall knelt during the national anthem before Thursday night's season-opener between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.

The linebacker was a teammate of Colin Kaepernick's at Nevada.

"I'm not against the military, police or America. I'm against social injustice," Marshall said, adding that he "felt it was the right thing to do" and that he will continue to kneel during the anthem this season.

Marshall said he also believes taking a knee during the anthem is a way to "create dialogue."

"I think the more people do it, the more it's seen -- there's going to be hate mail, hate comments, but at the same time, people will talk about it," he said. "Some people are going to stand by me, some people aren't. But I know my loved ones, the people that love me and care about me, they're going to stand behind me, and that's all that matters to me.

"A lot of stuff that happened this summer, the police brutality, that sparked a conversation. We can talk all we want, but actions speak louder than words, so when [Kaepernick] took a knee, or sat down, he got people thinking. Then he was able to say everything he felt, everything he meant."