MIAMI DOLPHINS wide receiver Kenny Stills played down any “beef” between him and owner Stephen Ross regarding the hosting of a fundraiser Donald Trump.

Stills, who continued his protest against the US national anthem by kneeling prior to the pre-season win over the Atlanta Falcons, pointed out to Ross on Wednesday via social media that he cannot claim to fight for racial equality, via his Rise foundation, and support a racist president.

The 27-year-old took offence to the event which will see guests pay $250,000 for a lunch, photo and private roundtable with the US president.

Ross defended his association with Mr Trump, saying they had been friends for 40 years and that, though they may agree on some things, “we strongly disagree on many others.”

Following the game, Stills, wearing a T-shirt of the late Toni Morrison, an influential black writer who leaves behind a legacy rooted in uplifting the voice and visibility of black women and black culture, admitted he has received death threats because of his tweet to Ross but said he has no issue with his boss.

“The tweet doesn’t, like, put me against Mr Ross,” Stills said. “I don’t have any hard feelings toward him. There’s no, like, beef. It’s just like: ‘Hey, these two things don’t align. And maybe somebody else hasn’t told you, but I’m letting you know.’

“It’s important to me that the work that we’re doing isn’t just lip service. It’s real. Everything that I do has been real from the very beginning. And it’s going to be that way.

“Someone has to have enough courage to let him know he can’t play both sides of this.

“It’s something that I can look back on and say I made the right decision. Maybe I shouldn’t have done it on social media, but I did.

“If you’re going to associate yourself with bad people, then people are going to know about it. I put it out there for everybody to see it.”

“If you say you’re going to be about something, let’s be about it.”

Stills has been supported by his union, with a statement released on Wednesday saying: “As a player leader, few have done more for their community than Kenny.

“We support him, as we do all of our players, in using their platform for good.”

Ross’s Rise foundation says that it is “a national non-profit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations,” and himself added that he will continue to fight for racial equality.

“I’ve always have been an active participant in the democratic process,” Ross said. “While some prefer to sit outside of the process and criticise, I prefer to engage directly and support the things I deeply care about.

“I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges.”

Stills is one of the few players still protesting after quarterback Colin Kaepernick was blacklisted for taking a public stand against social injustice and systematic racism in 2016. 

Kaepernick once again reiterated this week that he is fit and ready to play in the NFL, and Stills said he is not worried his actions could lead him down a similar path.

“If those come, then they come. I feel like I’m doing God’s work — all the stuff that I’ve done and spoken up for and stood up for,” Stills said. “It’s not about politics. It’s never been about politics. It’s about the human being.”

Head coach Brian Flores weighed in on the Ross v Stills situation, admitting he spoke to Stills about his reason for discussing it on social media before talking to the owner and said communication needs to be better if there is going to be real change.

“I asked him why he didn’t talk to the owner, why he didn’t talk to Steve before putting something out there,” Flores said.

“That’s something we have to do more of, more communication, more conversation if we want to make change. I wish he would have done that. I told him that.”