NFL owners will not to force players to stand for the national anthem, even though they agree they should, league Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday.

“Another issue we spent a great deal of time talking about this morning was how much we believe that everyone should stand for the national anthem,” he said following an owners’ meeting in Manhattan.

Grid-ironers have been kneeling during the anthem to protest systemic racism. NFL policy asks they stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but it is not required.

Rather than make a rule forcing players to stand, owners hope to convince them to change sides, according to Goodell.

“We have six or seven players that are involved with the protest at this point, and what we try to do is deal with the underlying issue and understand what it is they are protesting and what we can do to address that,” he said. Goodell wouldn’t say how the league would react if an individual team disciplined a player for kneeling.

“I can’t deal with hypotheticals right now. We will deal with those issues if they come up,” he said.

The league huddled with the NFL Players Association union Tuesday to hash out ways the players can have an “in-season” platform for social-justice advocacy that doesn’t involve kneeling during the anthem, which critics — including President Trump — claim disrespects the flag and the military.

Trump took to Twitter early Wednesday to slam the league in anticipation it would not change its rules on kneeling.

“The NFL has decided that it will not force players to stand for the playing of our National Anthem. Total disrespect for our great country!” he tweeted.

He later fired off another angry tweet after the league’s press conference wrapped.

“.@NFL: Too much talk, not enough action. Stand for the National Anthem,” Trump wrote Wednesday afternoon.

Goodell refused to wade into the political debate.

“I have not” communicated with Trump, Goodell said. “We are trying to stay out of politics. We are not looking to get into politics. What we are looking to do is continue to keep people focused on football.”

The league isn’t taking Trump’s bait, according to New York Giants owner John Mara.

“We’re all aware that that’s going to continue, but we just can’t allow ourselves to get baited by that. We’re going to do what we think is right,” he said.