League: No change to anthem policy

In the face of fan unrest and accusations from the president about the league being unpatriotic, the NFL is not changing its national anthem policy to require players to stand. Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners said yesterday at the league’s fall meetings in New York that altering the policy language from “should stand” to “must stand” was not discussed.

New York Giants owner John Mara noted that the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones “spoke at length” to the other owners about the anthem issue. Jones has said any Dallas player who doesn’t stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” would not be playing.

Goodell reiterated that the league and its 32 clubs “believe everyone should stand for the national anthem. It’s an important part of our policy and the game. It’s important to honor our flag and our country and I think our fans expect that.” . . .

The 2018 NFL draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Cowboys. It’s the first time the draft will happen in an NFL stadium.

Fournette rests

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette sat out practice while recovering from a sprained right ankle.

The Jags hope to have Fournette available for Sunday’s game at Indianapolis . . . .

New York Jets running back Bilal Powell (calf ), defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder, foot) and wide receiver Robby Anderson (ankle) all sat out practice with injuries.

They are uncertain to play at Miami on Sunday.

Avril heads to IR

Defensive end Cliff Avril is expected to be placed on injured reserve by the Seattle Seahawks as he continues to deal with a neck injury.

Avril was injured three weeks ago in a game against the Colts. He would be eligible to return from injured reserve after eight weeks and able to return to practice after six weeks . . . .

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t saying much about injured quarterback Jameis Winston’s status for Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

As expected, the thirdyear pro did not throw in practice because of a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder . . . .

Colts QB Andrew Luck has stopped throwing passes for now, and it’s not clear when he’ll resume.

Elliott returns

Ezekiel Elliott was back with the Cowboys, his sixgame suspension over domestic violence allegations on hold again. He left no doubt that he will keep fighting a legal battle that so far has lasted six weeks with hearings in three courts in three states.

“It’s fighting for your name, that’s what it is,” Elliott said.