Aug 26, 2017 5 min read

The NFL has a problem.

More and more players are showing their support for Colin Kaepernick by following his lead and sitting or kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has sat in all three exhibition games and several Browns players kneeled and prayed during the playing of the song last week.

It could be the beginning of a movement with players believing they can protect themselves simply by increasing the number of protesters. The fact that neither Bennet nor any of the Browns players suffered any consequences for their displays is proof they’re right.

The NFL has polls that show the No. 1 reason for it’s drop in TV ratings last season was Kaepernic’s protests. The regular season is almost here and the opening games are perfect settings for attention grabbing mass protests – especially the Chargers-Broncos game on Monday, Sept. 11.

There have already been lots of public statements from long time fans who say they will no longer watch NFL games, including Ohio Supreme Court justice Bill O’Neil, who said he would never watch or attend another Browns game.

If this issue becomes a major theme every week, the NFL owners could very well end up with two choices: Stop playing “The Star Spangled Banner” before games or stop playing players who sit when it’s played. People show up at a stadium or tune in to see a football game. They’re not interested in witnessing and-or debating political statements.

Bennet will make $11 million this season.

That’s $687,000 per game.

Seahawks owner Bruce Allen has every right to say to Bennet, “I’m paying you $687,000 today. I don’t care about your political beliefs. The playing and singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” is part of our game day presentation. The vast majority of my paying customers enjoy it. If you or any of your teammates don’t respectfully stand for the playing of the national anthem today, you won’t play in the game.”

If multiple players, counting on the safety of numbers, ignore the order and sit or kneel, Allen should order head coach Pete Carroll to bench them all, even if it means a forfeit.

If he can withstand a fight from the players association, he should withhold every player’s game check.

Allen would also have every right to avoid the aggravation and dismiss with playing the song before games and deal with his customers’ reaction.

And let’s not kid ourselves. A player who’s being paid $687,000 does not have the right to refuse to go along with the game day presentation and also expect to be paid.

If the owners are going to continue to play the song before games, they should insist that every player stand or leave the field. If he leaves, he doesn’t play or get paid.

The country will survive if “The Star Spangled Banner” is never played before another sports event, but the song and the moment shouldn’t be allowed to be turned into an opportunity for a widely unpopular political demonstration.

So, NFL owners, here’s your choice: Either have the guts to make everybody stand or have the guts to stop playing the song.

• The Steelers got good news Saturday, when an MRI showed New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman tore his ACL Friday night in Detroit and will be out for the season.

That’s harsh. But it’s football.

It’s probably true that most players and most fans would never wish for any player to be injured but that doesn’t change the fact that the Patriots playing without Edelman helps every other team in the NFL.

The preseason consensus, justified or not, seems to be that the Steelers will be playing the Patriots in the AFC Championship game again. The consensus also seems to be that there is no way the Steelers’ defense should be expected to stop the Patriots’ offense. The chances of that became a lot better after what happened to Edelman Friday night.

I happen to think he’s one of the most underrated players in the NFL. I know that Tom Brady would have four Super Bowl rings today instead of five if Edelman hadn’t made one of the greatest catches in NFL history in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ win over the Falcons.

The Patriots have shown they can win without their biggest stars, including Brady, who was suspended for the first four games last season and tight end Rob Gronkowski, who missed the second half and playoffs.

The Patriots have lots of offensive weapons, who can pick up the slack, and they can still win another championship without Edelman but they became a lot easier to beat Friday night.

John Steigerwald writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter