On Wednesday morning, the NFL office negotiated a deal with all franchise owners to establish a new national anthem policy. The rules, which were unanimously adopted by the NFL teams (although the San Francisco 49ers abstained from the vote), seek to set a location and procedure for players who wish to protest during the pregame national anthem ceremony.
The changes being wrought by the NFL include these rules:
- All team and league personnel on the field must stand during the national anthem.
- Players are no longer required to be on the field during the national anthem.