The NFL's two-month old national anthem policy is on hold.

Hours after The Associated Press reported that Miami Dolphins players who protest on the field during the anthem could be suspended for up to four games under a team policy issued this week Youth Minkah Fitzpatrick Jersey , the league and the players union issued a joint statement late Thursday night saying the two sides are talking things out.

"The NFL and NFLPA, through recent discussions, have been working on a resolution to the anthem issue. In order to allow this constructive dialogue to continue, we have come to a standstill agreement on the NFLPA's grievance and on the NFL's anthem policy. No new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks while these confidential discussions are ongoing," the statement read. "The NFL and NFLPA reflect the great values of America, which are repeatedly demonstrated by the many players doing extraordinary work in communities across our country to promote equality, fairness and justice. Our shared focus will remain on finding a solution to the anthem issue through mutual, good faith commitments, outside of litigation."

The issue has dominated headlines over the past two seasons, caused division and alienated some fans.

The NFL rule that was passed in May forbid players from sitting or taking a knee if they are on the field or sidelines during "The Star-Spangled Banner," but allowed them to stay in the locker room if they wish. The policy said teams would be fined if players didn't stand during the anthem while on the field. The league left it up to teams on how to punish players.

None of the team policies had been made public until the AP obtained a copy of Miami's nine-page discipline document. It included a one-sentence section on "Proper Anthem Conduct" and was provided to the AP by a person familiar with the policy who insisted on anonymity because the document is not public. It classifies anthem protests under a large list of "conduct detrimental to the club," all of which could lead to a paid or unpaid suspension Hayden Hurst Jersey , a fine or both.

The Dolphins said in a statement: "The NFL required each team to submit their rules regarding the anthem before their players reported to training camp. We will address this issue once the season starts. All options are still open."

Miami can choose not to issue any suspension nor fine any player guilty of "conduct detrimental to the club." Other violations under that label include drug use or possession, gambling, breaking curfew and riding motorcycles as a driver or passenger from the start of camp until the last game of the season.

Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson said shortly after the league announced its policy that he will not punish his players for any peaceful protests 鈥?and would pay any potential fines incurred by the team as a result of his players' actions.

The new league rules were challenged this month in a grievance by the players union. The NFLPA said the NFL policy, which the league imposed without consultation with the players union, is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and infringes on player rights. Now, the two sides are hoping to reach a solution without litigation.

Dolphins veteran receiver Kenny Stills took a knee with a hand on his heart during the anthem throughout last season. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips put his arm around Stills before one game. Two other players who knelt 鈥?safety Michael Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas 鈥?are no longer with the team.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, who raised his fist during the anthem while with the Rams, is now with the Dolphins.

"Players who are on the field during the Anthem performance must stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem," says the 16th and final bullet point on Miami's list of conduct considered detrimental, below disparaging teammates, coaches or officials including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The NFL started requiring players to be on the field for the anthem in 2009 鈥?the year it signed a marketing deal with the military.

In 2016, then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began protesting police brutality Youth Derrius Guice Jersey , social injustice and racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem, and the demonstration spread to other players and teams.

Critics led by President Donald Trump called the players unpatriotic and even said NFL owners should fire any player who refused to stand during the anthem. Some players countered that their actions were being misconstrued and that they are seeking social change rather than protesting the anthem itself.

Trump's criticism led more than 200 players to protest during one weekend, and some kept it up throughout the season.

The league and a coalition of players have been working in tandem to support player initiatives for a variety of social issues. The NFL is committing $90 million over the next seven years to social justice causes in a three-segment plan that involves league players.

Kaepernick didn't play at all last season and still hasn't been picked up by another team. He threw 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in his final season in 2016. Safety Eric Reid, one of Kaepernick's former teammates and another protest leader, is also out of work.

Both have filed collusion grievances against the NFL.

AP Sports Writer Steven Wine in Miami, AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak in New York and AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner in New York contributed to this report. >It was one of the great Super Bowls ever, a dramatic comeback win that cemented forever the legacies of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.No one could have predicted February's game could very well have been the NFL's last great defining moment.A league that once seemed untouchable is under siege as the turbulent 2017 regular season draws to a close. A tsunami of troubles 鈥?some self-inflicted 鈥?have been washing over the NFL, and for the first time in a half century or so the league's warts are on prominent display.The national anthem controversy has hurt far more than the league is willing to admit, reaching all the way into the White House. And despite measures taken to protect player brains, it's increasingly clear that there is little anyone can really do about concussions in a very violent sport.Turn on the TV on any given Sunday and there are wide swatches of empty seats in stadiums in some cities. The television audience itself is down, though commissioner Roger Goodell says it is only off about 1 percent for the year.There's infighting among owners that spilled out in a very public way over Goodell's new contract extension. And there's a good chance players won't be so docile when their 10-year deal expires after the 2020 season and demand guaranteed contracts like players get in almost every other sport.Even the official pizza of the NFL seems to be in trouble. Papa John's founder John Schnatter blamed "poor leadership" by the NFL in dealing with the anthem controversy for a drop in recent quarterly profits, only to have the company apologize later on for saying the protests should have been stopped.That the NFL is having issues isn't anything new. The league has had to deal with other controversies in recent years Tre'Davious White Bills Jersey , ranging from Deflategate to the way it deals with domestic violence accusations against players.But this seems different. These, for the most part, are systemic issues that seem immune to easy solutions.Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was thinking along those lines recently when he wrote an op-ed piece predicting that the NBA would one day supplant the NFL as America's favorite sports league.That might be a stretch, but the argument could be made that the very violence that made the league so attractive over the years may end up being part of its eventual undoing."A broken arm or cracked rib is one thing, the scars that prompt bragging rights, but widespread permanent brain damage that affects players for the rest of their lives is beyond entertainment," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the Guardian. "There is nothing sexy about depression and dementia."No there isn't, and because we're now more enlightened about that it's no longer entertaining to watch players slam head-on into each other. The conundrum facing the league, though, is that without the very violence that is the core of the game football loses much of its appeal.That same violence is also to blame for short career spans, which makes it hard for fans to identify with individual players. While the NBA is built on its superstars, NFL teams for the most part consist of interchangeable players that the average fan wouldn't recognize if they saw them on the street.The game itself is also unwatchable at times Authentic Joaquin Benoit Jersey , with way too many stoppages to look at plays in ways never imagined when instant replay first came into existence. No one seems to know just what a catch is anymore, or what causes replay officials in New York to micromanage things not seen by the naked eye.Still, the NFL continues to draw TV audiences other leagues can only dream of. The Super Bowl gets 100 million viewers, a Sunday night prime-time game might draw 20 million, and even the Thursday night games are for the most part competitive in the national ratings.And while there are plenty of empty seats in some markets, there are still sign-up lists for season tickets in others.Americans still like to get their fix of football, but for how long?A year that began on a high note with Brady and the Patriots overcoming a 25-point deficit to win the first overtime Super Bowl comes to an end with the NFL at a crossroads. There are perilous times ahead as the league tries to find a new balance and retain its appeal while at the same time court a new generation of fans.The NFL hasn't killed the golden goose, far from it. That showed when city leaders in Las Vegas agreed to raise $750 million in tourist taxes to bring the Raiders to town beginning with the 2020 season.But the league can no longer afford to take fans for granted. It can no longer afford to alienate entire cities like San Diego, St. Louis and Oakland simply because there's more money to be made elsewhere.There's a long way to go from the top of the mountain to wherever the NFL may end up 50 years from now.But it sure seems like the downhill part of the journey has begun._Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlbergap.org or .