Jason Fitz and Mike Golic Jr. react to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones telling KTCK 96.7 FM that players should stand "if they want to be a Dallas Cowboy." (1:54)

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is now following through on an NFL guideline not to discuss player protests during the national anthem.

Cowboys public relations officials told local TV stations on Sunday that Jones would not answer questions about the anthem. A Fox4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reporter said he canceled his interview over the directive. Other outlets interviewed Jones without asking anthem-related questions.

Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown indicated July 24 that owners had been instructed to say little regarding the national anthem policy. Sources confirmed to ESPN the existence of a letter guiding the owners to avoid the anthem. Jones now appears to be falling into line.

But Jones had been outspoken about his desire for players to stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner," saying Wednesday that he expects Cowboys players to have their "toe on the line" during the national anthem. His son, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, went a step further Thursday, saying players should stand "if they want to be a Dallas Cowboy" and adding that players would face punishment if they chose to stay in the locker room for the anthem.

While Cowboys players, including quarterback Dak Prescott and linebacker Sean Lee, have said they plan to stand for the anthem, Jerry Jones' comments have drawn reactions from other players around the NFL. On Monday, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman told USA Today Sports that Jones had an "old plantation mentality." On Friday, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins called Jones a "bully" for requiring his players to stand.

At the spring owners meetings, the NFL announced a new policy that would require players on the sideline to stand for the anthem. Players who do not want to stand could remain in the locker room. In the past, the policy stated that players should stand, but it was not required.

The new policy has been put on hold while the NFL and NFLPA hold discussions to figure out how to move forward.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung, who is a member of the NFLPA's executive committee, said Tuesday he doesn't believe the meetings held so far "were fruitful."

"I think Jerry Jones and a lot of other owners are quietly supporting him [President Donald Trump]. I think when you get retweets from Donald Trump and talk about how you support him, and Jones is obviously a donor and has a close relationship to Trump, it's appears that he's working in his favor, and that hurts the game," he said.

ESPN's Todd Archer, Eric D. Williams and Katherine Terrell contributed to this report.