Browns' Jackson doesn't want his players to protest anthem

National anthem protests haven't gone away in the National Football League.

During the first week of preseason, the Seattle Seahawks' Michael Bennett and Oakland Raiders' Marshawn Lynch took a seat during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Asked about the form of protest, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated, "people do have rights."

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson has a much firmer stance.

"I think everybody has a right to do, and I get it, but the national anthem means a lot to myself personally, the organization and our football team," Jackson said, according to Dan Labbe of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I hope - again, I can't speak, I haven't really talked to our team about it - I would hope that we don't have those issues."

Colin Kaepernick popularized the practice in the NFL, and it was picked up by a number of other players. No Browns player has participated, however.

"I understand there is a lot going on in the world. I like to just keep it here. What we deal with, we try to deal with as a team in our closed environment," Jackson explained. "We talk about things. Hopefully, that won't happen. I can't tell you it won't happen, but I just know our guys, and I don't think that is where our focus is.

"We hope the things that are going on in the world get ironed out, but I know right now we are doing everything we can to get our football team better."

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