Dolphins owner: 'All of our players will be standing' during anthem

The Houston Texans may have dismissed reports that state the organization is against players protesting during the national anthem, but the Miami Dolphins made no such denial.

Team owner Stephen Ross made it clear he's against kneeling during the anthem.

"All of our players will be standing," Ross said Monday to Christian Red of the New York Daily News, at an event for the Jackie Robinson Foundation, no less.

Kenny Stills, Michael Thomas, and Julius Thomas were among the Dolphins players who took a knee during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" last season in a protest of injustices in America. The trio also met with members of the North Miami Police Department in October.

"Initially, I totally supported the players in what they were doing," Ross said of the protest. "It's America and people should be able to really speak about their choices."

However, Ross' feelings changed when the protest began being viewed as anti-military.

"When that message changed, and everybody was interpreting it as that was the reason, then I was against kneeling," he said. "I like Donald (Trump). I don't support everything that he says. Overall, I think he was trying to make a point, and his message became what kneeling was all about. From that standpoint, that is the way the public is interpreting it. So I think that's really incumbent upon us to adopt that. That's how, I think, the country now is interpreting the kneeling issue."

There has been no word on whether Ross has spoken to his players who have participated in protests. Stills remains signed with the Dolphins for the next three seasons, Julius Thomas has one year remaining, and Michael Thomas is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.