No resolution to players’ protests

National Football League owners and players left a four-hour meeting without a resolution to the issue of players’ protests during the anthem, players said.

“That’s going to come down to the individual,” the Indianapolis Colts’ Darius Butler said Tuesday.

“It’s going to be an individual choice.”

Butler said the players were able to provide “just our perspective” to the owners, and added: “I think that’s the most important thing ... respecting everyone’s rights regardless of how they feel. People who are having peaceful protests and speaking on these issues, I think it’s important to respect them.”

Asked if he was pleased with the meeting, Butler said: “I’m happy about it.”

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins said the anthem-related issues were not discussed in depth during the meeting. Players and owners met with commissioner Roger Goodell at the NFL’s Park Avenue offices. Leaders of the NFL Players Association, including executive director DeMaurice Smith, also participated.

The league and union issued a joint statement that said: “Today owners and players had a productive meeting focused on how we can work together to promote positive social change and address inequality in our communities.”

“NFL executives and owners joined NFLPA executives and player leaders to review and discuss plans to utilize our platform to promote equality and effectuate positive change. We agreed that these are common issues and pledged to meet again to continue this work together.

“As we said last week, everyone who is part of our NFL community has a tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military. In the best American tradition, we are coming together to find common ground and commit to the hard work required for positive change.”

The league’s owners are scheduled to meet among themselves Wednesday at a Manhattan hotel. The league is under intense pressure from the White House and some fans to address players’ protests during the national anthem before games.

A high-ranking official with one NFL team said recently the owners would like to see the NFLPA support players standing for the anthem. Another person familiar with the sport’s inner workings cautioned that Tuesday’s conversations between players and owners likely will be focused on league support of player activism and might not address the anthem so directly. That appeared to be the case as the meeting concluded. Goodell wrote to teams last week that the NFL believes players should stand for the anthem.