NFL Owners Reportedly Expect Anthem Policy Resolution Soon

The NFL owners are expected to reach "some kind of resolution to their policy tomorrow" regarding the national anthem, according to Judy Battista of NFL.com. 

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com added more details:

Steve Wyche of the NFL Network reported: "The takes from some NFL owners and executives is that by Wednesday afternoon, there will be some type of guideline set for player protocol during the pregame playing of the national anthem. Nobody knows what but I got the feeling that any change won’t be radical."

Albert Breer of The MMQB presented one of the ideas the NFL owners had reportedly been considering: 

That idea was immediately met with disdain around Twitter:

The great debate surrounding players kneeling during the anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality began with Colin Kaepernick, who first did so in the 2016 preseason. The action was widely divisive, and Kaepernick has not been signed by an NFL team since he became a free agent following the 2016 campaign. He's since filed a grievance against the league and its owners, alleging they colluded to keep him out of a job. 

Last year, as Kaepernick's form of protest was repeated by other players around the NFL or used as inspiration for other gestures, President Donald Trump weighed in on the debate, saying he felt NFL players who took a knee during the anthem should be fired.

His fiery rhetoric was met with backlash from the NFL players and owners, though the debate over the issue has continued into this offseason. The elephant in the room is that having the players on the field and the playing of the anthem itself is a politically motivated event.

NFL players weren't mandated to be on the field during its playing before 2009, and a report from Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake found in 2015 that the "Department of Defense had spent $6.8 million on what they called 'paid patriotism' between 2012 and 2015. This money was spread out among 50 pro teams from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, MLS and others," per AJ Willingham of CNN.com.

Willingham continued: "In exchange for the money, teams organized displays of national pride including flag presentations, the honoring of military members, reenlistment ceremonies, and even the most unassailable and uplifting of patriotic moments: Surprise military homecomings."

The Department of Defense has said that it has never requested professional leagues require athletes to be present during the playing of the anthem before sporting events.

The argument many players and those supporting their right to protest during the anthem have made, however, is that the NFL accepting money for patriotic displays on game day but preventing players the opportunity to make their own political statements serves as a double standard.