The Cowboys have a bye this week and that’s probably a good thing because there wasn’t much football work being done at the team’s facility on Wednesday.
Players had a meeting early in the day to talk about team owner Jerry Jones’ vow not to play any player he deems to be disrespectful to the national anthem. Coaches were reportedly at that meeting and told players that they should take their issues to Jones directly.
They did that on Wednesday afternoon. According to multiple reports, Jones met with players to discuss his stance and most players still in the locker room after the meeting told reporters they had no comment, although, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, cornerback Orlando Scandrick did pull out a pair of pink cleats for breast cancer awareness to note “they are allowed support.” Hill also noted that Scandrick was playing a song titled “FDT” at his locker. The DT is for President Donald Trump, who Jones calls a friend, and the F you can likely figure out all by yourself.
Defensive lineman David Irving, who raised his fist at the end of the anthem last Sunday, said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, “yeah, we’re together” when asked if the locker room and organization are together and unified. Irving also said “a little of both” when asked if the meeting resulted in more questions or more answers.
Jones said this week that he wants to take the Cowboys out of the national anthem debate that’s taken hold around the league this fall, but Wednesday’s schedule of meetings about the anthem suggest the debate is alive and well in Dallas.