Prior to the kickoff of Sunday’s slate of games, Roger Goodell passed a note along to NFL league staff regarding national anthem protests. The NFL commissioner said he is proud of the way players and teams have handled a sensitive issue, but he also appears to be calling for the kneeling to stop.
“This past week was a challenging week for all of us, but I am proud of the way our clubs and players have come together and entered into dialog like never before,” Goodell wrote, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “On Friday, the Broncos released a statement directly from their players. I wanted to share it with you as it provides a narrative of this past week and their hopes for today.”
The Broncos, who have had players like linebacker Brandon Marshall participate in anthem protests since Colin Kaepernick was the first to kneel last year, vowed to “stand together” starting in Week 4.
A message from our players: pic.twitter.com/eQs3z7OcqV
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 28, 2017
NFL Players Association director DeMaurice Smith said Goodell and NFL owners want players to stop protesting because they fear the protests could be bad for business. However, three Miami Dolphins players kneeled during “The Star-Spangled Banner” in London on Sunday morning. The New Orleans Saints kneeled before the anthem and interlocked arms during, with Adrian Peterson putting his own personal spin on it.
