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The NFL will continue\u00a0allowing players to\u00a0kneel during the national anthem at games, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday, according to\u00a0Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe spent today talking about the issues that our players have been trying to bring attention to. About issues in our communities to make our communities better,\u201d\u00a0Goodell said at a news conference following a meeting between officials and team owners in New York.<\/p>\n The meeting included officials from the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association, as well as 11 team owners and 13 NFL players\u00a0who have protested\u00a0during the national anthem.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s discussion with our players was very productive and very important. It reflected our commitment to work together with our players on issues of social justice,\u201d Goodell stated.<\/p>\n According to Reuters, the NFL\u00a0representatives did not press upon players not to kneel, but instead talked about ways to help them in their activism.<\/p>\n Goodell had previously said that “everyone should stand” for the national anthem, amid growing pressure for the NFL to take an official stance on the controversial protests.<\/p>\n Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles said after the meeting that there was no talk of penalties against players who protested, according to the\u00a0New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n President Trump has repeatedly slammed the protests as unpatriotic and disrespectful, calling on NFL owners to fire or suspend players who take part in the protests and for fans to boycott games\u00a0if players continue to kneel.<\/p>\n The president’s ire only sparked more protests, as entire teams began to kneel in protest of racial discrimination and disproportional police violence toward racial minorities.<\/p>\n \u201cOur players are men of great character,” Goodell said at the conference. “They have a very deep understanding and tremendous knowledge of the issues that are going on in all of our communities, and their commitment to addressing these issues is really admirable.\u201d<\/p>\n Goodell said the officials, players, and owners would likely meet again within the next two weeks.<\/p>\n