NFL Tweaks National Anthem Guidelines Amid Player Protests, Backlash

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the national anthem has become a huge point of contention in the NFL.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick last season began kneeling during the national anthem in protest against racial inequality and police brutality in the United States, a gesture he settled on with the help of former NFL long snapper and Army Green Beret Nate Boyer. But when President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter and called for the NFL to ban the protests, the goal got lost in the idea that players are protesting “The Star-Spangled Banner” rather than their original cause.

And even though NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he was “proud” of the league after widespread protests in Week 3 following Trump’s comments, it appears the NFL has tweaked its guidelines about the anthem in the game operations manual.

Deadspin’s Diana Moskovitz pointed out Monday that this version differs from the one in court records in the NFL’s 2014 court case against New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady over Deflategate.

It’s unclear what any of the changes mean for a few reasons. For starters, the NFL is clear to call this a “policy” rather than a “rule,” so we can’t say for sure how heavily it can be enforced. That idea is made even murkier based on the fact that the policy fed to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen now includes specific punishments. The new version also omits that any discipline would come from the league office, perhaps suggesting it’s up to the teams.

Until the NFL gives any sort of comment, though, it’ll remain unclear how these changes could affect players.

Screenshots via Deadspin
Thumbnail photo via Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports Images