Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills continued to protest against social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem in the team's season opener on Monday.

Stills is one several NFL players who have followed a movement sparked by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality.

Stills, who played with the Miami Dolphins for four years before he was recently traded to the Texans, has also taken other initiatives to empower disadvantaged communities.

His efforts include the Still Growing Summit, an organization which provides resources to underserved communities while sparking dialogue on mental and emotional wellness.  

Stills hasn't been shy about speaking out on the subject on social injustice.

The wide receiver recently expressed his discontentment with rapper Jay-Z, who partnered with the NFL on a social injustice effort and said “we’ve moved past kneeling and I think it’s time to go into actionable items.” 

Stills responded to Jay-Z's comments in an interview with reporters. 

"He could have reached out to Colin,” Stills told reporters. "He could have reached out to me. Some of the ways that he answered his questions, talking about ‘We’re moving past kneeling’ — like he ever protested. He’s not an NFL player. He’s never been on a knee."

The Washington Post
reported that Stills also criticized Dolphins' owner Stephen Ross, who planned to host a campaign fundraiser for President Trump. 

Stills expressed his frustration on Twitter, calling out the Dolphins' owner for supporting Trump while leading a social justice nonprofit known as the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality.

“You can’t have a non profit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump,” Stills tweeted.

After getting traded from the Dolphins, Stills expressed his thoughts on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

It’s hard for me to put into words what the last four years have meant to me. Grateful is the first thing that comes to mind. Grateful for the memories and for the relationships. I love and appreciate all of my teammates, from the guys I spent a couple of days with to the guys I spent years with. I love every staff member from the facility and the stadium I’ve crossed paths with. I love all of the people in the community who I had the privilege of working with. I’m at peace with the fact that I’m no longer playing in South Florida because I know it’s a part of the plan. And I’m looking forward to a new chapter in Houston. To everyone I met and forged relationships with in South Florida, we are family forever.

A post shared by Kenny Stills (@kstills) on

"I love all of the people in the community who I had the privilege of working with," Stills wrote. "I’m at peace with the fact that I’m no longer playing in South Florida because I know it’s a part of the plan."

Colin-KaepernickHouston TexansKenny StillsNFL Protests