Schefter: NFL Not Expected to Implement New National Anthem Policy in 2018

The NFL will not enter the new season with a national anthem policy in place, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. 

According to that report, "The new policy is going to be no policy—at least for this season, according to sources. Too many people have stances too strong to figure out a compromise, although talks will continue."

The NFL owners had approved an anthem policy in May that would fine teams if players didn't stand for the playing of the song were they out on the field but would have allowed them to remain in the locker room during the anthem if they so choose. It also would have given teams the power to decide their own punishments for players who didn't stand during the anthem. 

That policy was not negotiated with the NFL Players Association, however, and was met with swift backlash. Per ESPN.com, "The NFLPA filed a non-injury grievance in July challenging the legitimacy of that policy, and shortly after, both sides decided to hit pause on the new policy and discuss a resolution."

The decision of certain players to protest police brutality and racial discrimination by kneeling or demonstrating during the anthem before NFL games has remained a divisive topic in both the NFL and the United States at large, with President Donald Trump routinely taking aim at those players who have taken a knee. 

The owners and NFLPA have maintained that talks are productive, per ESPN, and that "each side is curious to see how the other handles issues that arise moving forward, such as whether players will continue protesting during the anthem, what owners and/or the league will do, and if President Trump continues to mention it."

It appears unlikely a compromise will be achieved this season, however.