I feel like the optics of this situation are different for the Steelers. I think it's pretty stupid to relate sitting/kneeling during the national anthem with anything resembling anti-American / military sentiment. The real message behind the gesture is so unbelievably worthwhile, that I urge every player to take part in it - and commend everyone who does. Having said that, I'm not sure how I'd feel if my teammate on the field was a veteran who served three tours in Afghanistan. Furthermore, I'm not sure how I'd feel after seeing said person uncomfortable enough with the team's decision to do so - that he felt the need to wander onto the field by himself during the national anthem. So in that sense, I can empathize with where Ben is coming from.
Having said that, the right thing to do in this situation - as the captain of this team and a fellow player in the league - would have been to bite your tongue and not make the moment about yourself. This whole ordeal at a league level is a collective protest, and for something that is REAL and in need of as much spotlight as humanly possible, so to do what he did definitely rubs me the wrong way. So that's where I have a huge issue with Ben's statements.