Jason Garrett: The national anthem and American flag are ‘sacred’
Multiple NFL players have already chosen to protest during the playing of the national anthem before preseason games, and you can add Jason Garrett to the list of head coaches who do not want to see their guys taking part in the demonstrations.
Garrett made his feelings clear when asked about national anthem protests on Tuesday.
Jason Garrett: "There's no question in my mind the National Anthem is sacred, the flag is sacred and our team has demonstrated that."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 15, 2017
Both Marshawn Lynch and Michael Bennett chose to sit while “The Star-Spangled Banner” was being performed before their preseason games over the weekend. Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson said Monday that he hopes none of his players do the same, and Garrett obviously agrees.
Bennett said he will continue to sit during the national anthem throughout the season and explained the motivation behind his decision.
In addition to coaches like Garrett and Jackson wanting their players to respect the flag, teams are concerned that — whether right or wrong — national anthem protests will lead to media distractions. Coaches are almost always going to want to eliminate things of that nature.