The NFL defended itself in a statement on Sunday after being accused of trying to stop Eminem's decision to kneel during the Super Bowl halftime show. 

"We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Kneeling became a controversial issue in the NFL when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick performed the gesture during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality. Eminem performed a similar act while wrapping up his rendition of “Lose Yourself” on Sunday. The rapper took a knee and held his head in his hand in what appeared to be a tribute to Kaepernick.

Eminem's gesture created plenty of buzz on social media, with some praising the artist for presumably defying the NFL's order. 

Some critics also came to bash the rapper.

Eminem expressed his support for Kaepernick in 2017 when he performed a four-minute freestyle rap during the BET Hip Hop Awards, CNN reports. The rapper called out former President Donald Trump during his performance while showing support for Kaepernick's message on eradicating racism and police brutality.

 "F**k that, this is for Colin, ball up a fist and keep that s**t balled like Donald the b***h," Eminem said during his freestyle performance, according to CNN.

The artist also featured Kaepernick in his 2017 song, "Untouchable."

"They're gonna say you're tryin' to take an irrational stance if you try to slander the flag but somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb," he said. "So they call it a Kaepernick tantrum If you don't stand for the national anthem. We raise it, you better praise it or you'll be made to feel like a traitor."