ORLANDO, Fla. _ Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' position on NFL players protesting during the national anthem is well known.
He barred his team from participating in the protests for social justice last season, threatening to not play anyone who didn't respect the flag or the anthem before games.
The question now is whether Jones would sign a free-agent player who protested in the past.
Jones, however, declined to answer the question when asked at the NFL owners meeting on Tuesday, citing pending litigation with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is suing the NFL for allegedly colluding to blackball him.
Jones deferred all comments to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, unlike Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, who caused a stir at the start of the NFL owners meetings Sunday by saying the anthem is no place for protests.
Kaepernick started the protests for social justice reform in 2016 but was not signed to a contract as a free agent last season and remains out of the league.
Jones has been subpoenaed but has not yet been deposed by Kaepernick's attorney. But he expects to be soon.
"I think that as you know, I've been subpoenaed regarding this issue," Jones said. "There is a little of that involved in your comments, have that at issue, but everybody knows where I am on this. We'll just see what we come up with here in May as a league. Again, I'm going to let Roger speak to that.
Asked if a guy protested in past but says he won't in future, how would that factor in his decision on signing him as a free agent, Jones again declined.
"I don't need to speculate or give a hypothetical and shouldn't," Jones said. "It's a matter that is pretty well documented how I feel about it. We certainly, at this meeting, have had significant discussions. It's a very serious matter. We'll see what the league comes up with.
