Texans won’t sign kneelers: report

The Texans are becoming the face of the anti-kneeling portion of the NFL.

The Houston Chronicle spoke to two agents who said the team would not consider signing players who were seen kneeling during the national anthem. The report stated that it’s not a directive from within the organization, but there is an understanding of which players Houston should pursue in free agency.

It’s not Texans owner Bob McNair’s first foray into this controversy. McNair, according to ESPN, said in a league meeting last season that the league was letting “inmates running the prison.” Texans star receiver DeAndre Hopkins skipped a practice after the reports became public in late October and many other players considered walking out.

McNair apologized to the team, arguing the “inmates” comment was not referencing players, though the Chronicle reports few on the team believed him. Texans players knelt and/or linked arms during the anthem before their next game.

Colin Kaepernick currently has a collusion grievance against the NFL and McNair is one of the many NFL bigwigs who were deposed by the free-agent quarterback’s lawyers. Kaepernick started the kneeling movement during the 2016 preseason to protest the treatment of African-Americans by law enforcement.

That movement grew when President Trump called in September for any player who kneeled to be released by his team.