NFL owners reached a consensus Wednesday on their national anthem policy, addressing the most controversial and divisive issues in recent memory.
Under the new policy, players who do not choose to stand for the anthem before games will have the option of staying in the locker room. But a club will be fined if players or league personnel are on the field and do not stand “and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.”
“It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a written statement.