The NFL announced Wednesday that players are no longer required to be on the field during the performance of the national anthem prior to games, but if they are they must stand or risk their teams being fined.
League commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that protests during the anthem “created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case.” He thinks the policy change will “keep our focus on the game and the extraordinary athletes who play it.”
The NFL Players Association said the owners didn’t approach the union as they formulated the new policy.