© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
NFL owners agreed to a new national anthem policy: teams must stand for the anthem on the field, but they are allowed to remain in the locker room at their discretion. If players remain on the field and choose not to stand, the organization will be fined.
The Game Operations Manual will be changed to remove the requirement of all players on the field during the anthem. Each team has the freedom to implement its own rules according to the above guidelines.
Here is the NFL’s full statement.
Statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pic.twitter.com/1Vn7orTo1R
— NFL (@NFL) May 23, 2018
The NFL Players Association immediately responded, saying the new mandate contradicts the NFL’s encouragement of patriotism.
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) May 23, 2018
The anthem protesting started with the 49ers during the 2016 preseason. Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem to protest police brutality. Many of his teammates followed his lead, including Eric Reid, who continued to kneel during the 2017 season. The movement has swept the league.
Neither Kaepernick nor Reid has signed with an NFL team since becoming a free agent. Both have filed collusion grievances against the NFL.
