SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 25: Members of the San Francisco 49ers kneel during the national anthem prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 25, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** 49ers

NFLPA releases statement ahead of NFL league meeting discussions of national anthem

Will the NFL change its stance?

After the NFL made changes in the game operations manual, there have been league-wide concerns that the owners and Roger Goodell could make it mandatory to stand for the national anthem.

The NFLPA, along with the NFL, released the following ahead of league meetings slated for next week.

"Commissioner Roger Goodell reached out to NFLPA Executive Director Demaurice Smith today and both he and player leadership will attend the league meetings next week. There has been no change in the current policy regarding the anthem. The agenda will be a continuation of how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized. Everyone who is part of our NFL community has tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military, and we are coming together to deal with these issues in a civil and constructive way."

We'll soon see just how serious the league is with its stance on whether players should be allowed to kneel or required to stand for the national anthem.