Cowboys' Jerry Jones Declined Comment After Wearing Hat During National Anthem

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't want his players protesting racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem, but he didn't have an answer for why he was wearing his hat during the song at training camp.

Dale Hansen of Dallas-Fort Worth's WFAA provided video evidence of Jones not removing his hat when the anthem played to open the Cowboys' training camp. The owner was given a chance to address the situation Sunday and said "No. No. No." when asked if he had a comment, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk noted Jones has insisted team policy is for players to stand with "toes on the line" during the anthem.

Kneeling during the national anthem as a means of protesting has dominated NFL headlines for the past few years, leading to everything from presidential tweets to Colin Kaepernick filing a grievance against the league alleging collusion.

The league drew more attention this offseason when it instituted a policy requiring players to stand during the song or remain in the locker room, but it eventually released a joint statement with the players association agreeing to freeze the policy and reach a future conclusion.

Much of the attention on the issue has been centered in Dallas, especially after quarterback Dak Prescott said he didn't think games were "the time or the venue" to protest, per Stefan Stevenson of the Star-Telegram.

That stance drew criticism, and Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram noted artist Trey Wilder made a mural in Dallas depicting Prescott in the "sunken place" from the movie Get Out. However, Jones told TMZ Sports he was "so proud" of his team's quarterback for his anthem comments.

He was happy to talk glowingly about Prescott's comments but wasn't as quick to offer a reason he kept his hat on during the same anthem he implores his players to respect.