With talk swirling that some NFL teams could intentionally avoid signing or drafting players who have taken part in national anthem protests in the past, the NFL Players Association released a statement on Tuesday that reaffirmed support for those who choose to take part in political demonstrations.
According to the statement, Roger Goodell was among those who assured players last season that their right to demonstrate would be protected.
Statement on Players' Right to Demonstrate pic.twitter.com/JRfDiQ3Qf5
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) March 6, 2018
As the statement alluded to, the topic of national anthem protests came up again this week in the wake of a report that claimed Houston Texans owner Bob McNair does not want to sign players who have kneeled. The Texans vehemently denied the report. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said on Monday that “all of our players will be standing” during the anthem in 2018, but he later expressed regret and said his comments were misconstrued.
It’s unclear how widespread protests will be next season, but the NFL has given no indication that it will require players to stand during the anthem.
