Rishard Matthews has been silent about the NFL and the national anthem protest since deleting his tweet.
(Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
Tenessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews may have changed his mind about quitting football over a possible new national anthem rule. The star tweeted and then deleted that he’d be “done” with the game if the NFL imposed a requirement for players to stand during the national anthem.
Significant response here from @_RMatthews, since deleted. #Titans. (Now tagging correct address.) pic.twitter.com/5bvlwpKRWx
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 12, 2017
Matthews has since been silent on the matter.
Days earlier on Tuesday, Oct. 10, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted about the possibility.
While Adrian Peterson trade came down, NFL said owners will consider a rule change that would require players to stand for national anthem.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 10, 2017
However, on Friday, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart told Reuters that the owners, commissioner Rodger Goodell and the head of the NFL Players Association will meet Oct. 17-18 to discuss a possible way to stop players from protesting during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The movement was launched last season by former-San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick and has since grown to include more than 200 NFLers.
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“What we don’t have is a proposal that changes our policy, we don’t have something that mandates anything,” Lockhart said Oct. 13. “That’s clear. If that was the case, I doubt the head of the NFLPA would have put a joint statement out with us.”
The statement released Wednesday from the NFL and NFLPA noted the policy had not changed and that the meeting will continue a discussion on “how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized.”
Joint NFL-NFLPA statement pic.twitter.com/Elgkx3Gvmy
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) October 11, 2017
“So for everyone who has speculated over the last few days that somehow there is a proposal that is set for a vote on Tuesday or Wednesday, you are speculating,” Lockhart told Reuters. “Those who are reporting it as fact are reporting it incorrectly.”
