Rishard Matthews to retire if NFL makes players stand for anthem

Rishard Matthews would rather walk away from the NFL than be forced to end his national anthem protest.

The Titans receiver revealed Thursday he will quit playing football if the NFL implements a new rule requiring players to stand for the national anthem.

Matthews, who has remained in the locker room during the national anthem the past two games, proclaimed his stance while answering a local Nashville producer’s question on Twitter.

"@_RMatthews If NFL makes new rule on anthem... will you stay in locker room and face the fine/penalty?" Matt Parker asked.

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“No I will be done playing football,” Matthews responded.

Matthews quickly deleted the tweet, but not before it was captured and re-posted by journalist Paul Kuharsky.

The 28-year-old receiver has previously said he will not end his protest until Donald Trump apologizes to players for calling those who protest during the anthem “a son of a bitch.”

Matthews grew up in a military household. His father served in the Marines for 23 years and his brother, also a Marine, served in Iraq before he was killed in Afghanistan in 2015 while working as a private defense contractor.

Matthews previously refrained from protesting during the anthem out of respect for his brother, but after Trump’s comments he said his brother would understand his reasoning for doing so moving forward. He also shared patriotic posts on social media honoring his brother, even saluting after scoring a touchdown last season two days after Veteran’s Day.

Matthews, a college teammate of Colin Kaepernick, has also been vocal in his support for the former 49ers quarterback who started the national protest movement and remains without a job.

“Proud of My Brother @kaepernick7 for Sacrificing to begin a movement that is very much needed,” Matthews posted to Instagram. “Continue being the voice of the people & encouraging us to speak up as well! #ImWithKap All About The People Without A Voice!”

Matthews, who pledged to donate $75,000 to organizations that support oppressed communities, has repeatedly engaged with fans on Twitter discussing his and other players’ national anthem protests and explaining their reasoning behind doing so.

“It's very unfortunate that fans choose not to watch because players are exercising their rights!” Matthews posted in a string of Tweets on Oct. 5. “Just shows you we still have a long way to go in this country, but I believe in this country and we'll eventually get it corrected. Don't worry I don't hate you for your views as you me. Love thy neighbor as much as you love yourself!”