NFL owners and officials are considering changing the league’s rules for the upcoming 2018 season, crafting new policies that would keep all athletes in the locker room during the performance of the national anthem should player protests continue.
According to Sports Illustrated, the NFL is weighing the move after months of their athletes’ choosing to “take a knee” as the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ rings out throughout stadiums across the country.
The ensuring controversy has cost the league millions of dollars in decreased television ratings and ticket sales.
“I think that if players are still kneeling at the end of the year, then it could very well happen,” said a source close to the discussion.
President Trump thrust the issue of player protests into the national spotlight earlier this year when he called for a national boycott should the “disgraceful” league continue to permit political displays.
Just this week, the President called for a season-long suspension for one NFL star who chose to kneel during the US national anthem, but stood for the Mexican anthem while playing an international game in Mexico City.
Several coaches have vowed to stop the act, but none have implemented any policies that actually ban players from “taking a knee.”