Chiefs' Alex Smith says Donald Trump's comments on player protests were 'very alarming'

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith would rather comment on football, not politics.

But after the Chiefs’ 24-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Smith let it be known how disappointed he was in President Donald Trump and his tweets that took aim at an NFL players who kneeled or sat during the national anthem.

“You know me, I don’t always feel comfortable talking about a lot of this stuff,” Smith said. “We’re athletes, we’re playing football. But certainly I’d be lying if I said the comments didn’t upset me.

“I’ve been in this league a long time. The league’s not perfect. But I’m definitely proud of a lot of my teammates, coaches, trainers, owners …There are so many good things, great things that go on in this league. … It struck a chord a little bit to see guys get attacked for a peaceful protest.”

Asked specifically about Trump’s comments, Smith, who stood behind the Chiefs’ bench during the national anthem on Sunday, dug deeper.

“I’m talking about the comments that were made by the president, targeting the NFL, targeting the quality and character of guys in this league for that very protest. I found that very alarming.

“It’s the same guy who couldn’t condemn violent neo-Nazis. And he’s condemning guys taking a knee during the anthem.

“There are bigger issues out there that he probably should be worried about. But for some reason the NFL is on his mind.”

This story was originally published September 24, 2017 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Chiefs' Alex Smith says Donald Trump's comments on player protests were 'very alarming'."