The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) says they were “not consulted” about the NFL’s new rule requiring players on the sidelines to stand for the national anthem.
In addition, the NFLPA says they will review the new “policy” and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.”
On Wednesday, the NFLPA tweeted:
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) May 23, 2018
NFLPA Spokesman George Atallah said, “We were not consulted ahead of this meeting on any potential changes to the anthem policy. If there are changes to the policy that put players in a position where they could be disciplined or fined, we are going to do what we always do – fight anything that encroaches on players’ rights to the end.”
The NFL reaffirmed the players rights to protest multiple times throughout the regular season last year. Given that, the new NFL policy requiring players to stand must have come as somewhat of a surprise to many NFL players. The NFL collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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