Some of the nation's top football players are brainstorming to get around the NFL's new decision to fine teams if their players kneel for The Star Spangled Banner, NBC News' Craig Melvin reported on Thursday.

The controversial practice was launched by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 to protest racial injustice and police brutality and has haunted the NFL ever since.

But the NFL's proposed penalties are not going to stop players from protesting, according to Melvin.

"This isn't over. I think the league probably thought yesterday that this would be a decision that would put it to rest," he said on the "Today" show.

"I talked to a former NFL player yesterday who said that players are already talking about other ways in which they can protest. So we'll be talking about this for some time."

According to the new NFL edict, teams will not be fined if players stay in the locker room for the anthem, but if they come out onto the field, they must stand respectfully.

On Thursday's Fox News program, President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter, commenting that the NFL "did the right thing" by making players on the field stand.

"I don't think people should be staying in the locker rooms, but still I think it's good," Trump told host Brian Kilmeade.

"You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Maybe you shouldn't be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the change was approved unanimously by the owners at their spring meeting in Atlanta, but it was met with immediate skepticism by the players' union.

Goodell said the new rule was implemented because "we want people to be respectful of the national anthem. We want people to stand.

"That's all personnel, and to make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That's something that we think we owe. We've been very sensitive on making sure that we give players choices, but we do believe that moment is an important moment and one that we are going to focus on."

The NFL Players Association has said it will challenge any part of the no-kneeling policy that violates the collective bargaining agreement.