Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was surprisingly not frustrated with one of his players after they kneeled during the national anthem. In fact, Jones said he was actually pleased with the way the Cowboys handled the moment.
Cowboys defensive lineman Dontari Poe became the first player in team history to kneel during the pregame national anthem on Sunday. Cameras appeared to capture Jones anxiously scanning the field as he watched his team’s actions during the song.
Jones spoke Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan for the first time since Poe’s silent protest during the anthem. The longtime Cowboys owner said he actually really liked the way Poe and the rest of the team handled the situation.
“I thought our players, I thought they gave it the sensitivity,” said Jones. “They showed respect to Poe’s decision there.”
Of course, his comments are a change of heart from his previous stance over the last few years. Jones previously threatened to fire any player who did not stand “toe on the line” for the national anthem.
Yet, Jones recently vowed to relax his stance before this season began. His Tuesday morning comments mirror his promise to his team from earlier this month.
“All in all, I thought our team was very real, very genuine in the way it approached it,” said Jones.
It is unclear how Cowboys players plan to handle any social injustice protests during the song going forward. However, it does seem like Jones is okay with the demonstrations if other players choose to join Poe in kneeling.
Meanwhile, the NFL has seen numerous protests across the league during the national anthem this season already. Players have come together and locked arms in a moment of unity, while dozens of other players have kneeled or raised their fists in protest.
[H/T TMZ]
