Several possibilities remain, including leaving the current anthem policy unchangedGETTY IMAGES
NFL owners are "considering a compromise solution to the sport's national anthem policy that would make it a team-by-team decision whether to require players to stand for the anthem prior to games," according to sources cited by Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. No final determination has been made as the owners "prepare to take up the anthem issue when they gather this month in Atlanta" during the league's spring meeting May 21-23. Several other possibilities "remain, from leaving the anthem policy unchanged to forging a different compromise that would result in a leaguewide policy by which players would be required to stand for the anthem if they're on the sideline but would be given the option to remain in the locker room." Sources said that while some owners "would like to require all players to stand for the anthem, others remain opposed to such a mandate and there appears to be insufficient support to make that a leaguewide policy." A high-ranking official with one team said, "My guess is they will leave it up to the teams." Maske noted others "expressed a similar view in recent days, saying that is the solution that could satisfy owners on both sides of the issue." The current policy, "included in the game operations manual sent by the league to teams, says players must be on the sideline for the anthem." It "recommends but does not require that players stand for the anthem" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/5).
NO EASY SOLUTION: THE MMQB's Peter King wrote there "obviously is no easy solution to the anthem dilemma," and his suggested solution is a "bit of a split." King: "As much as I think it's a player's right to do what he wants during the anthem, the way to make this go away is to tell players who don't want to stand to stay in the locker room until after the anthem is played." It is "not perfect, but it's a better solution than making this an endlessly politicized issue" (SI.com, 5/6).
