NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday sent a letter to all 32 teams saying he wants all players to stand during the national anthem, ending their protests, ESPN reports.
In an effort to "move past" the debate — and scrutiny from Washington — about the protests, Goodell said in the letter he seeks a uniform approach by all teams.
"Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the national anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us," Goodell wrote, ESPN reported.
"We also care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues. The controversy over the anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players," Goodell wrote.
The NFL and its protesting players have been in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump for weeks, and Vice President Mike Pence walked out of the Colts-49ers game last Sunday.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.