Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doubled down Wednesday on insisting that his players stand for the national anthem, declaring he wouldn't support anyone who chose to stay in the locker room.
Speaking at his annual news conference to open training camp in California, the outspoken billionaire became the first owner to say publicly that his players would not be allowed to stay off the field during the anthem.
"No," Jones said when asked if he would support players staying in the locker room. "Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line."
Still Jones, who drew praise from President Donald Trump when he said last year that he would bench players, said Trump's continuing involvement in the anthem issue is "problematic" for the league.
"His interest in what we're doing is problematic from my chair and I would say, in general, in the owner's chairs," Jones said. "And unprecedented if you really think about it. But like the very game itself, that's the way it is and we'll deal with it. But, yes, everybody would like for it to go away."
Jones also announced that the team would not be severing ties with Papa John's despite the controversy surrounding founder John Schnatter's use of a racist term during a conference call. The Cowboys own a percentage of 50 Papa John's stores in North Texas.
"We feel strongly that our Cowboys are the big face of Papa John's and that judgment is warranted over what we've done over the last 15 years with Papa John's," Jones said.
Patriots moving on
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the team has "moved on" following the announcement of Julian Edelman's four-game suspension this upcoming season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
