With no deadlines to meet and a monthlong summer break coming up Niklas Hjalmarsson Jersey , NFL teams are in no hurry to formulate a policy on demonstrations during the national anthem.

One day after league owners mandated that players must stand for the "Star-Spangled Banner" – they now have the option of remaining in the locker room for the playing of the anthem – few of the 32 teams had done more than preliminary work on the issue.

The NFL gave teams the option of developing their own workplace rules, which many players interpreted as a backhanded way of subjecting them to fines, suspensions or loss of jobs should they carry on with the protests.

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For now, other than New York Jets owner Christopher Johnson's decision to pay any fines doled out by the league without passing punishment to the players, each franchise's approach is uncertain.

After all, once mandatory minicamps end in mid-June, teams don't get together again until training camps open in late July. The opening preseason game – the first time the anthem would be played before an NFL match – is Aug. 2 when Baltimore and Chicago face off in the Hall of Fame game.

"I'm sure it's something that will be addressed, by the players and by the coaches, collectively," Lions receiver Golden Tate said Thursday. "But right now, we don't play a game until August, and that's when it's going to be applicable in football stadiums. So we've got time to kind of brainstorm some ideas on how we could stand for justice and what we can do."

What some teams have done in the past likely indicates how they will handle disciplining players for demonstrations during the anthem – regardless of the intent. Owners Jerry Jones of the Cowboys and Robert McNair of the Texans have been among the staunchest advocates of no exceptions to standing during the anthem.

Others have taken a less stringent stance, emphasizing working together with the players in their communities rather than focusing on how the message about social injustice is being delivered.

"I have always believed it is the responsibility of sports teams to be very proactive in our communities," says Jeffrey Lurie James Neal Jersey , owner of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

"In this great country of ours, there are so many people who are hurting and marginalized, which is why I am proud of our players for continuously working to influence positive change. Their words and actions have demonstrated not only that they have a great deal of respect for our country, but also that they are committed to finding productive ways to fight social injustice, poverty and other societal issues that are important to all of us.

"We must continue to work together in creative and dynamic ways to make our communities stronger and better, with equal opportunities for all."

One certain thing: The uncertainty about how each team will deal with players who defy the NFL's mandate will last for weeks.

Not so for any league personnel such as game officials, sideline crews, et al. They will be disciplined for any violations of the anthem policy, though the exact punishments have not yet been determined by the NFL.

One organization, the National Action Network, will march on league headquarters Friday to "advocate for players' right to kneel and call on NFL owners to reverse (the) dangerous decision violating players' First Amendment rights by imposing fines for not standing during the national anthem."

Such protests could become more prevalent if teams decide to strongly discipline players who demonstrate during the anthem. But some franchises aren't sure they need their own policy. Or if that is even the proper description.

The Falcons' position is any players on the field will stand, so no need to make plans for any other outcome.

Team spokesman Brian Cearns suggested it's too strong to say they have a team policy: "The word policy sounds like it was mandated. It was discussed as a team and agreed upon as a team," Cearns said in an email to The Associated Press.

Defensive linemen Dontari Poe and Grady Jarrett knelt during an early season game at Detroit last year.

Coach Dan Quinn said that was a "one-off" and, sure enough Gordie Howe Jersey , after that game all players stood together on the sideline, with arms interlocked, the remainder of the season.

"Was every player who stood last year against social justice?" Lions guard T.J. Lang tweeted "Or just the guys who do it this year because there is now a rule? Asking for a friend."

Buffalo linebacker Lorenzo Alexander doesn't expect his team "to do anything."

"I understand where they're at. And it's hard," Alexander said. "And I understand that from a business perspective trying to be socially responsible. And people can act like it's in a vacuum and say you have to pick a side. But it's not that simple. It's a very complex situation.

"And so I respect them, because I was a business owner and I understand it. It makes a big impact. I'm in this to grow the business, grow their brand, and us doing this does have an impact, whether we say it or not. That's what we want, because we're trying to bring attention to it. But they have to have a foot over here, a foot over here. It's hard."

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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton and Sports Writers Charles Odum, Paul Newberry, John Wawrow and Noah Trister contributed.

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Another series, another opponent sitting at the top of its division.

That's the scenario for the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend as they welcome the Atlanta Braves, who lead the National League East Womens Andrew Cogliano Jersey , for a three-game series at Busch Stadium starting Friday.

And Atlanta (45-34) will be a stronger team offensively for the series. Prized rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna will be activated off the 10-day disabled list for Friday night's game and should slot right into the lineup.

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The 21-year-old Acuna, who missed a month with a right knee injury suffered on May 27 in Boston, hit .265 with five homers and 13 RBIs in his first 117 big league at-bats. Acuna recorded a solid .779 OPS, although his 10 walks and 37 strikeouts suggests he needs to gain a bit more control of the strike zone.

Acuna's return at least tempers worries about the status of center fielder Ender Inciarte, who left Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Cincinnati when he felt discomfort near his left oblique. Should Inciarte have to miss any time, Acuna could bat near the top of the lineup.

The Braves missed a chance to extend their division lead during a six-game homestand against two last-place teams. They lost two of three to Baltimore, which has the worst record in baseball, and dropped two of three to Cincinnati, which isn't playing like a last-place team at the moment with nine wins in 10 games.

"We didn't play up to our capabilities 100 percent," Atlanta starting pitcher Sean Newcomb said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "You're not going to every day. I know we're going to come back out at St. Louis and be pretty strong, pitching and offensively."

The Braves will have to be strong to deal with Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (8-2, 2.69 ERA), who has been one of baseball's best free-agent finds this year. Signed after three successful years in Japan, Mikolas has put together an All-Star resume with St. Louis.

He is coming off a 3-2 win Saturday in Milwaukee http://www.officialblues.com/authentic-adidas-dmitrij-jaskin-jersey , giving up only three hits and two runs to the NL Central leaders in a 6 2/3-inning effort. Mikolas walked two and fanned five, giving him 71 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 97 innings.

Mikolas has faced Atlanta just once in his career, throwing two shutout innings in relief six years ago when he pitched for San Diego.

Julio Teheran (5-5, 4.52) will continue a season-long search for consistency as he starts for the Braves. After tossing six no-hit innings on June 17 in a win over San Diego, Teheran was belted around Saturday for seven runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 7-5 loss to Baltimore.

The veteran right-hander has made five career starts against the Cardinals, going 1-3 with a 3.86 earned run average. Two players who have hurt him are Matt Carpenter, who is 6-for-12 with two homers, and Marcell Ozuna, who is batting .405 with three homers in 42 career at-bats against Teheran.

St. Louis (42-37) had a four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday with a 5-1 loss to Cleveland.

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