The NFL has decided to hit pause on its new anthem police amid the Miami Dolphins facing backlash after submitting required paperwork to the league that included potential disciplinary measures for player protests during the national anthem, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
The league and the NFL Players Association issued a joint statement on Thursday stating that “no new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks”, as the two sides continue to discuss ways to move forward.
“The NFL and NFLPA, through recent discussions, have been working on a resolution to the anthem issue,” the joint statement stated. “In order to allow this constructive dialogue to continue, we have come to a standstill agreement on the NFLPA’s grievance and on the NFL’s anthem policy.
“The NFL and NFLPA reflect the great values of America, which are repeatedly demonstrated by the many players doing extraordinary work in communities across our country to promote equality, fairness and justice. Our shared focus will remain on finding a solution to the anthem issue through mutual, good faith commitments, outside of litigation.”
Per the report, the Dolphins merely filed the paperwork required by the league and that the Dolphins’ submission of their potential disciplinary policies was merely part of an annual filing required of every team before the start of training camp.
With training camp on the horizon, the league has a lot of work to do to ensure that this story doesn’t hang over the upcoming NFL season, as anthem protest stories have for the past couple of seasons.