The NFL is preparing to end the use of military honor guards to present the American flag ahead of the national anthem, according to reports.
A league source claims that the policy benching military, federal, and police guards is part of its COVID-19 response, according to Front Office Sports.
“They won’t be on the field,” a source told the site. “That could change as the season progresses. But that’s the plan at the beginning.”
It appears that there will be no flags on the field and the flag will only appear on electronic scoreboards during the playing of the national anthem, at least for the beginning of the season.
The league is also eliminating or limiting other on-field personnel such as reporters, cheerleaders, photographers, and some medical personnel.
The NFL has studiously refused to comment on the plans to limit people on the sidelines. However, repeated leaks from insiders have revealed that there will be a lot of changes this year.
The league previously announced that there will be no sideline and pregame reporters for the season. National anthem singers were also canceled in compliance with the league’s coronavirus policies.
The changes are hardly surprising as the league has made it clear that their coronavirus policies will take the lead throughout the season.
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