NFL players will be encouraged to stand for the national anthem at the start of football games, the league’s president told reporters today.
After two days of meeting with the owners of each NFL team, representatives of the players’ union and the players themselves, the NFL reiterated its decision to retain its current policy of not requiring players to stand during the national anthem. Goodell said yesterday that the league will Don’t set a rule It would punish players who refuse to stand for the national anthem.
“We believe that everyone should stand for the national anthem,” he told reporters in a press conference today. “This is an important part of our policy. It is also an important part of our game and one that we are all proud of. It is also important for us to respect our flag and our country and I think our fans expect us to do that.”
Goodell’s comments came after President Donald Trump continued his criticism of the NFL this morning. Trump said on Twitter: “The NFL has decided that it will no longer force players to stand during our national anthem. Total disrespect for our great country!”
After former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem last year to protest police killings of unarmed black men, dozens of other players joined him to bring more attention to social and racial injustice. Last month, Trump said the NFL should fire players who did not stand during the national anthem.
Goodell said today that the players “are not doing this in any way to disrespect the flag.” “But they also understand how it is interpreted.”
Goodell also said the league wants to stay out of the political arena on the issue.
“We are not looking to get into politics,” he told reporters. “What we’re looking to do is continue to keep people focused on football.”