As the NFL and NFLPA continue to discuss the best national anthem policy for the 2018 season, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Friday that he believes players should have the right to speak out and should be able to make their own decisions when it comes to the "complex issue" of standing or kneeling for the national anthem.
He went on to say the Falcons are "very committed to the military" and doesn't expect national anthem protests from his team, but he did acknowledge players have their own rights.
“Players do have First Amendment rights,” Blank said Friday, via AJC.com. “If you talk to many members of the military they’ll tell you what they fought for also was not just the flag or fabric, but what is stands for. It stands for our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.”
Last season, the Falcons held a team meeting, and the players decided they would all stand during the anthem. From that point forward, there wasn't a player who took a knee for the remainder of the season.
"When you have a president, with the biggest mic in the room, who can take this issue into many different directions, for his own reasons, it makes this very difficult," Blank said, per ESPN. "We're going to do the right thing for our flag, the right thing for our players, the right thing for our fans; and it starts with, we've asked our players to stand for the national anthem ... and they've done that nearly all of last year."
The NFL announced a new policy during the offseason, which states players have the option to stay in the locker room during the anthem. But if players decide to go on the field for the anthem, they must stand or they will be penalized. The NFL and NFLPA, however, are still discussing the rule and are trying to reach an agreement.
The NFL and the NFLPA released a joint statement last week saying, "No new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks while these confidential discussions are ongoing" after both sides were unable to reach a resolution over the anthem policy. In another joint statement released Friday, the NFL and NFLPA said, "We are encouraged by the discussions and plan to continue our conversations."
According to AJC.com, Blank doesn't appear to want to fine players who do protest, but he reiterated that players have to be able to make the decision for themselves.
“I think on our roster they’ve seen the progress that we’ve made collectively in terms in the social-injustice issues, both the players, our ownership, franchise and coaches alike, so I don’t think you’ll see that much,” Blank said. “It’s far better to have somebody make those decisions themselves than to hit them over the head with a hammer.”