WATCH: Jenkins, Eagles raise fists during the national anthem on MNF

As the national anthem played Monday night at Soldier Field, Malcolm Jenkins, Steven Means, Ron Brooks, and Marcus Smith raised their fists as an act of protest in solidarity with the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick, who is speaking out against racial inequality and racist mistreatment of black people across the country.

Kaepernick has said, and Jenkins has echoed, that the idea is to raise awareness and continue an important conversation.

Jenkins and his teammates were not the first players to raise their fists during the national anthem as a figure of protest.

During Week 1, Jurrell Casey, Jason McCourty and Wesley Woodward of the Titans raised their fists during the anthem, as did Marcus Peters of the Chiefs. Other members of the Chiefs locked arms. Arian Foster, Kenny Stills, Jelani Jenkins and Michael Thomas of the Dolphins knelt.

During last week's Monday night game, Kaepernick, who of course started the anthem protest in the preseason by sitting and then kneeling, was joined by teammate Eric Reid, while teammates Antoine Bethea and Eli Harold and Rams players Robert Quinn and Kenny Britt raised fists.