MIAMI – Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says his team has yet to make a decision on what their national anthem policy will be, despite reports claiming the players could be suspended if they do not stand.
"We were asked to submit a form to the NFL on our overall discipline policy prior to the start of the rookie report date," Ross said in a statement released Friday. "The one line sentence related to the national anthem was a placeholder as we haven't made a decision on what we would do, if anything, at that point.
Ross's statement was in regards to a report Thursday that the Dolphins had submitted a "Policy Anthem Conduct" section to the NFL as part of a document outlining franchise disciplinary measures.
The document, which all 32 league teams franchise required to submit, appeared to show the team's intent to suspend or fine players for failing to stand during the national anthem.
Late Thursday, the NFL and the players union announced that no new rules regarding the national anthem would be "issued or enforced for the next several weeks."
Statement from Owner Stephen Ross pic.twitter.com/cl1mS11HH0
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) July 20, 2018
"I am pleased that the NFL and NFLPA are taking a pause to figure out a resolution on this issue," said Ross.
"...we will continue to use the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress."