The Dallas Cowboys knelt as a team near the 50-yard line prior to the national anthem before Monday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Then they locked arms and stood while Jordin Sparks sang the national anthem.
Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones and his family joined the team on the field for the display of unity.
The Cowboys' official Twitter account posted a message and photo soon after the anthem, stating "#FootballIsFamily."
The Cardinals gathered on the goal line as a team, some of them locking arms, during the anthem. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell and his family and general manager Steve Keim joined them.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett had addressed the topic with the team, but it was more of a discussion than a plan of action meeting, NBC 5 Cowboys insider Jean-Jacques Taylor reported earlier Monday.
Some players thought about kneeling during the national anthem, but Jones was trying to persuade them all to stand, a source told NBC 5.
Prior to leaving North Texas for this week's game, Garrett made no public comment about President Donald Trump's comments concerning NFL players who choose to kneel during the national anthem, but Garrett said he did not expect any of his players to protest during Monday night's game.
"We have an approach that we believe in, and I won't comment beyond that," Garrett said Saturday.
The protests began last season with then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has repeatedly explained that he took a knee as a way to protest police brutality and racism facing minorities in America, especially people of color.
On Friday, President Trump said players who protest during the national anthem should be fired, but the comments sparked even more protests by NFL players during Sunday's games.
Trump then carried his feud with the NFL over players who kneel in protest into the new week with a fresh volley of tweets.
"Tremendous backlash against the NFL and its players for disrespect of our Country. #StandForOurAnthem" he wrote Monday evening.
Trump's views sparked backlash and were considered racist by some.
"The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!" he said in one of his Monday tweets.
NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart defended players' rights to peacefully protest what they view as racial inequality and police mistreatment of black males.
At Woody's Tavern on Bryant Irvin Road in south Fort Worth, Cowboys fans watched the national anthem with great anticipation.
"What do you think they're going to do? Stand up? Kneel? Sit down?" asked fan Robert Maddox, a contractor at Lockheed Martin.
He and a friend, Kacey Clauser, are both die-hard Cowboy fans but had different opinions on the pregame controversy.
"I hope they stand, I hope they stand," said Clauser, an off-duty bartender.
Maddox said the players should do whatever they want.
"I support them more than I support Donald Trump right now for his actions," he said. "What has he done good for us lately? Honestly."
They watched as the Cowboys knelt in solidarity before the national anthem and then stood for the performance.
"They got their message across but still did the right thing," Clauser said.
Maddox agreed.
"I respect everything the Cowboys do," he said. "They're respectful. They're the nation's team."
NBC 5's Scott Gordon and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt York
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