Falcons will decide on anthem approach as a team

Getty Images The NFL’s new national anthem policy creates three options for players: (1) stand for the anthem (and respect the flag, whatever that means); (2) stay in the locker room during the playing of the anthem; or (3) kneel during the anthem (or otherwise disrespect the flag, whatever that means), triggering league-imposed fines on the team and, possibly, team-imposed fines on the players.
For the Atlanta Falcons, it’s unknown what the players will do.
According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the players will decide on an approach, which will be adopted by all players.
“That’s something we’ll get to,” quarterback Matt Ryan said this week, via Ledbetter.
“I think the focus for everybody, to be frank with you, has been on the practices and the OTAs.” “We are a team and we want to do everything as a team,” running back Tevin Coleman said.
“We have to go out there and fight for each other.
That just brings a lot of relationship together with the players.” It’s a smart way to spin a potential distraction into a positive — as long as the players are indeed committed to uniformly adopting whatever approach they decide among themselves to use.
Of the three choices, standing together for the anthem seems like the most likely outcome.
If it’s one of the other two, the Falcons will definitely be faced with plenty of questions that could morph into very real distractions.