NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday said that “everyone” should stand for the national anthem, according to a leaked internal league memo that also called ongoing national anthem protests by players “divisive” and “a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues.”

The marching orders come a week after the commissioner met with the NFL Players Association, where Goodell claims the group decided the protests had to stop.

“Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem,” Goodell wrote, according to a copy of the letter posted to Facebook by ESPN insider Adam Schefter.

NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith issued a statement Monday that Goodell “assured our union leaders, in the presence of other owners, that they would respect the Constitutional rights of our members without retribution.”

The league plans to create “an in-season platform to promote the work of our players on these core issues, and that will help to promote positive change in our country,” Goodell wrote, noting that plan is subject to review at next week’s league meeting in New York.