NFL won't require players to be on field for anthem; teams can be fined for protests

NFL owners unanimously voted Wednesday in favor of a rule that removes the requirement for players to be on the field for the national anthem, the league announced.

Players will be permitted to stay in the locker room but will be expected to stand and show "respect for the flag and the anthem" if they come to the sidelines.

Additionally, teams will be allowed to make their own anthem policies, while the league will be responsible for disciplining any players who protest.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said there has been "incredible engagement" with hundreds of players on the anthem issue, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Colin Kaepernick was the first player to protest during the anthem as a response to social inequality and police brutality in the U.S. He was joined throughout the 2016 season by a handful of other players.

However, Kaepernick failed to find a new team last season, and protests - outside of a league-wide demonstration in Week 3 following criticism by President Donald Trump - begun to dwindle, with most players saying they were turning their efforts to work in their communities.