Jerry Jones Reportedly Told by NFL to Stop Discussing Cowboys' Anthem Policy

The NFL reportedly has had enough of Jerry Jones speaking publicly about his policy that requires Dallas Cowboys players to stand on the field during the national anthem prior to games.

Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram wrote Monday: "Jones informed several local media televisions stations who had booked him for interviews on their Sunday night show from training camp in Oxnard, California, that questions about the national anthem and his team's policy were not permitted because the NFL had told him to stop speaking on the matter."

On July 19, the NFL and NFL Players Association released a joint statement saying they were in ongoing negotiations over the league's policy during the anthem and that no rules would be "issued or enforced" during those discussions.         

The NFL ruled in May that it would fine players who knelt during the anthem to protest racial discrimination and police brutality, though the players could choose remain in the locker room during the "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The NFLPA filed a grievance against the measure, however, and the issue intensified following responses from organizations such as the Miami Dolphins and the Cowboys.

The Dolphins reportedly were planning to suspend players who protested during the anthem for up to four games, per the Associated Press (via USA Today). And both Jones and his son Stephen Jones suggested the Cowboys would have a no-tolerance policy for kneeling during the anthem.

"You know where I stand. Our teams know where I stand. That is where we are," Jones said in a press conference Wednesday, per Hill. "Our policy is you stand during the anthem, toe on the line."

"If they want to be a Dallas Cowboy, yes," Stephen Jones added when asked if he believed players would abide by the team's policy. "There's one way to do it right in our mind, and that's go toes on the line and stand for the anthem."

Other organizations have taken a different approach.

"As I have in the past, I will support our players wherever we land as a team," New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said in May, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. "Our focus is not on imposing any club rules, fines or restrictions."

He told Newsday that if the team receives a fine for players protesting during the anthem, "that's just something I'll have to bear," per Cimini. 

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney preached a message of compromise. 

"I think it's a positive development, and hopefully, we can come up with a uniform policy for all clubs and all players,” he said regarding the negotiations between the league and the NFLPA, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post. "I think there's common ground to be found here. I am optimistic that the two sides are talking now."