Kneeling during the national anthem could soon be equivalent to dangerous hits and excessive touchdown dances.

The NFL is considering a new punishment for its players taking a knee during the anthem, according to the MMQB, in the form of a 15-yard penalty — the same result as an unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct call.

Annual owners meetings are underway, and the league is discussing leaving it up to the home team whether the teams come out of the locker room before the game for the anthem. The catch is that if a team does come out on the field and has a player who kneels, it could be hit with a flag before the game even begins.

The hot-button issue has been a source of contention of late, with Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid currently suing the NFL, arguing it’s conspiring to keep them out of the league because of their participation in kneeling. The two former 49ers were at the forefront of the protest against social injustices that began during the 2016 season.

Some organizations already have tried to respond to the backlash over kneeling by keeping teams in the locker room during the anthem. It still resulted in controversy, at least in one case last season, when Steelers lineman and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva stood alone on the field for the anthem.