The National Football League rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's calls to punish players who kneel for the national anthem to protest racism, but said on Wednesday players "should" stand and it hopes the demonstrations will stop.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made clear he will take a more patient path and support players' efforts to reform criminal justice after a two-day meeting with team owners and the players' labor union.
"We have about six or seven players that are involved in this protest at this point," Goodell told reporters after the meeting ended at a New York City hotel, saying he hoped that number would eventually be zero. "What we're trying to do is deal with the underlying issue and understand what it is they're protesting."