N.F.L. Teams Will be Fined if Players Kneel During National Anthem
N.F.L. players will be allowed to stay in the locker room during the national anthem, but their teams will be fined by the league if they go onto the field and kneel, according to new rules adopted by owners on Wednesday in an effort to defuse an issue that escalated last season into a national debate catalyzed by President Trump.
Players had previously been required to be on the field for the anthem. Commissioner Roger Goodell said that owners voted unanimously to rescind that rule and to fine teams if their players are on the field or sidelines but do not “show respect for the flag and the anthem.”
At least one owner, Jed York of the 49ers, said his team abstained in the vote.
“It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of N.F.L. players were unpatriotic,”Goodell said in a statement. “This is not and was never the case.”
Christopher Johnson, the chairman and C.E.O. of the Jets, said the team would not punish players who choose to kneel during the anthem, despite the cost.
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