NFL Players, Owners Reportedly Won't Meet to Discuss Anthem Protest Rule Change

While a group of NFL players and owners are set to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, they reportedly won't discuss a potential rule change regarding the national anthem.

According to ESPN.com's Dan Graziano, owners are expected to address the anthem issue on their own later in the day during the fall owners meeting at the NFL offices in New York City.

Graziano noted that the group of 10 to 12 players meeting with owners Tuesday hopes to discuss ways the NFL will help them further their social causes.

A source told Graziano, "The best outcome would be to give players a reason not to kneel."

Last week, Goodell sent a letter to the NFL's 32 teams discussing his desire for players to stand during the playing of the anthem, per ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert:

"Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the national anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us.

"We also care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues. The controversy over the Anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players."

Within the letter, Goodell also mentioned giving players "an in-season platform to promote the work of our players on these core issues."

Players began protesting during the playing of the national anthem when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the first to do so during the 2016 preseason.

Kaepernick, who remains unsigned, filed a grievance for collusion against the NFL's owners Sunday.

---

🔥 Top Videos from Around B/R 🔥