NFL players might not be allowed to protest the national anthem much longer

What's the story?

A league spokesman said Tuesday afternoon that the NFL owners are considering a rule change to require players to stand during the national anthem and will discuss that option during the league's fall meetings in New York next week.

What's the current rule?

The loosely worded policy currently states that while all players must be on the field during the national anthem, they "should" stand or they "may" face punishment.

.@mortreport referencing @NFL game operations manual policy for national anthem on Monday Countdown. Here it is in full: pic.twitter.com/ifSMYuvOV9

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 9, 2017

This was a change from the 2014 game operations manual that said that failure to be on the field by the start of the national anthem simply "may result in disciplinary action from the League office."

The discussion comes in the wake of serious criticism from fans in the stadium seats all the way up to President Donald Trump, who blasted NFL owners and players in recent months over the national anthem protests.

What are others saying about the national outlook on the protests?

● How Do Americans Feel About the NFL Protests? It Depends On Who You Ask. — Five Thirty Eight

● What the polls really say about NFL protests: They're unpopular — Washington Examiner

● After Trump Spat, NFL Now Least Popular Sport in the U.S., Poll Shows — Newsweek