The NFL league has yet to punish the anthem-kneelers.
As of right now, commissioner Roger Goodell hasn’t shown any signs of sending the divisive anti-American players a message going into next season.
But news recently broke that the Houston Texans have had enough of the protesting players.
Insiders are reporting that the Houston Texans want nothing to do with the anthem-kneelers and will refuse to hire them.
Although once that news broke, the Texans’ executives denied it.
Then again, what organization wouldn’t backpedal that kind of news?
The State reports:
“The Houston Texans have a plan for signing free agents this offseason. And part of the NFL team’s evaluations reportedly will include passing on any players who have a history of kneeling in protest during the playing of the national anthem.
The Houston Chronicle reported that two NFL agents said the Texans, owned by University of South Carolina alum Bob McNair, aren’t interested in any players who participated in pregame kneel-downs in protest of police brutality.
“There is no directive within the organization, but it is considered to be understood that as desperate as the Texans are to bring in talent, the pool of potential signees and draftees will not include anyone who has participated in protests or are likely to,” columnist Jerome Solomon wrote in the Houston Chronicle.
In response to inaccurate reports regarding potential free agent signings… pic.twitter.com/CvI67Y91Uo
— Amy Palcic (@amypalcic) March 6, 2018
If true, this wouldn’t be the first incident related to the protest issue for the Texans or McNair.
Last season, McNair said “we can’t have the inmates running the prison ” during a meeting of NFL owners about players who protest by kneeling during the national anthem.
After his comments were made public, creating an uproar among NFL players and the public, the 1958 USC grad issued two apologies and met with Texans players.
He said that if he had a chance to do it over, he would not have used the expression.
“I was not referring to our players when I made a very regretful comment during the owners meetings last week,” McNair said.
“I was referring to the relationship between the league office and team owners and how they have been making significant strategic decisions affecting our league without adequate input from ownership over the past few years.”
One former Texans player said that wasn’t the first time McNair said something that could be interpreted as tone deaf or even divisive. Former Houston offensive lineman Duane Brown said McNair has a questionable history of racially insensitive comments.
“I think it was ignorant. I think it was embarrassing. I think it angered a lot of players, including myself,” Brown said in October.
Brown, who was the only Texans player to protest during the playing of the national anthem when they were less frequent in the 2016 season, was traded shortly after making his critical comments about McNair in the middle of the 2017 season.”
It’s pretty clear where the Texans stand on this issue, even though they deny it.
Only time will tell if they actually do hire an anthem-kneeler player.
Will you be shocked if they don’t?