Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones insists that all Cowboys players will stand for the national anthem this upcoming season, but admits that President Trump's involvement on the matter is "problematic."
On Wednesday, Jones spoke with reporters at his annual news conference in Oxford, California to open training camp, where he was asked if he would support players staying in the locker room during the national anthem. He responded, "No," explaining, "Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line."
While the Cowboys' team policy regarding the anthem will certainly please President Trump, Jones noted that Trump's interest in whether players stand or not is "problematic."
"His interest in what we're doing is problematic, from my chair, and I would say in general the owners' chair," Jones said at Wednesday's news conference, according to ESPN. "It's unprecedented, if you really think about it. But like the very game itself, that's the way it is and we'll deal with it.
"We feel strongly about how we deal with it and we'll do so accordingly, but, yes, I, like everybody, would like for it to go away."
Trump has called on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell several times, urging him to punish players who don't stand for the national anthem. Most recently, Trump insisted that players who kneel for the first time should be suspended for that game, and repeat offenders should be banned for the season without pay.
The Cowboys will open up the 2018 season on the road against the Carolina Panthers on September 9.
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