The Houston Texans will reportedly not sign a single player who has protested during the national anthem of games.
Jerome Solomon wrote for the Houston Chronicle:
I spoke with two NFL agents this week who said word is the Texans 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.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this move. Good for the Texans’ management and ownership if Solomon’s report is accurate. The fans have had enough of the garbage from players refusing to stand for the national anthem, and it’s been reflected in attitude and ratings.
Americans want to pop a few beers and watch some football on Sundays. We don’t want to get lectured about perceived oppression from people who make more money in a couple of years than most people do in a lifetime.
Don’t be surprised if more teams follow this model, especially teams located in solid red states. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already been pretty clear that he expects his players to respect the flag, and I wouldn’t be shocked one bit if he made it clear that he didn’t want anthem protesters signed.
Finally, it looks like the NFL is starting to notice fan outrage and recognize the whole protest trend is not a good thing for the league.
UPDATE: The Houston Texans have denied they will not sign players based on anthem protests, but instead will look for “talent,” “character” and “fit within our organization.”
In response to inaccurate reports regarding potential free agent signings… pic.twitter.com/CvI67Y91Uo
— Amy Palcic (@amypalcic) March 6, 2018