Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross backtracked in a statement on Friday about the team’s national anthem discipline policy.
On Thursday, word emerged that the Dolphins included anthem protests among the many actions that could lead to a personal conduct suspension from the team, which would be up to a four-game suspension.
The Dolphins are backing off now.
“We were asked to submit a form to the NFL on our overall discipline policy prior to the start of the rookie report date,” Ross said in a statement. “The one line sentence related to the national anthem was a placeholder as we haven’t made a decision on what we would do, if anything, at that point. I’m pleased that the NFL and NFLPA are taking a pause to figure out a resolution on this issue. I am passionate about social justice and through the Miami Dolphins and creation of RISE, will continue to use the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress.”
The fallout from the story led the NFL and NFLPA to announce that they were engaging in private discussions about a better-serving anthem policy, which is something mentioned in the statement.
The Dolphins were among the teams that had players protest during the anthem last season. It’s quite possible that the demonstrations continue this season.
