NFL owners, during a meeting Tuesday, reportedly considered a new punishment for players who choose to kneel during the national anthem: a 15-yard penalty against the team. HOW NFL NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTESTS HAVE EVOLVED SINCE KAEPERNICKThe report did not indicate who made the proposal, and it was unclear how much support or opposition it received. The proposal would represent a notably different response from the NFL after a wave of national anthem protests, which were started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. During the 2016-2017 NFL season, Kaepernick started kneeling during the anthem as part of a protest against police brutality. NFL players reportedly defended Kaepernick and slammed league owners during an October meeting in New York City, demanding to know why the former 49ers player was, they believed, being blackballed.

Source: Fox News May 23, 2018 00:16 UTC