Unveiling a new policy after months of controversy and debate over players taking a knee or otherwise making statements during the national anthem, the NFL says all of its athletes and staff "shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem" if they're on the field.
"Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the Anthem has been performed," the league said in its new policy.
The possibility that the NFL might issue a blanket restriction on protests during the anthem has been discussed for months, and the buzz gained new momentum this week. But the NFL Players Association says, "The NFL chose to not consult the union in the development of this new 'policy.' "
The league's decision goes against what the NFL had told players "about the principles, values and patriotism of our league," the union said, adding that it will review the policy with an eye toward mounting challenges if elements of it contradict the current contract.
As news of the strict policy spread, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted, "#Winning" along with an American flag and a screenshot of a story about the NFL's anthem policy.
Athletes' behavior during the anthem and flag presentation became a national conversation and a political talking point after NFL players used the traditional opening of their games as a moment to protest police brutality and racism in America. That effort was led by former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the anthem and who went from being a starting quarterback to being an unsigned free agent in the spring of 2017.
Despite Kaepernick's absence from the game last season, NFL teams struggled to craft coherent responses to players' desires to highlight social issues and they also faced intense public scrutiny, including from President Trump, who condemned players who refused to stand and urged fans to boycott the NFL until teams quashed the protests.
Saying that the new policy was meant to put the focus back on the game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Thursday, "It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case."
NFL team owners voted to adopt the policy and while the league says the changes "were unanimously approved by team owners who voted," it also notes that 49ers team owner Jed York abstained, at least in part because York wanted the players to be involved.