Redskins vs. Chiefs: ESPN will not broadcast national anthem

ESPN will not broadcast the national anthem portion of the Monday Night Football telecast between the Chiefs and Redskins.

Rather than deal with having to report on the national anthem and any potential player protests in terms of kneeling, sitting or raising a fist, ESPN has decided to avoid any broadcast of the anthem at all before the Kansas City Chiefs game against the visiting Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, per Michael McCarthy of the Sporting News.

McCarthy reported the news on Sunday of how ESPN was preparing to handle the coverage in Week 4. The avoidance of the anthem has become common this week as the anthem and player participation has become a lightning rod of controversy. Just as teams have avoided signing Colin Kaepernick largely because of the level of controversy and intensity of media coverage he would bring to the team, now entire networks are trying to avoid the firestorm of criticism that comes with providing commentary on the issue.

The Chiefs have had players participate in their own way in recent weeks including cornerback Marcus Peters who is often seen riding a stationary bike during the singing of the national anthen. Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt were among those who knelt during the anthem last week while others like Dustin Colquitt or Anthony Sherman stood right next to their teammates. Clark Hunt put out a statement mid-morning on Sunday of Week 3 saying that the Chiefs valued diversity, unity and the community engagement of their players.

The Chiefs host the Redskins on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. C.T. at Arrowhead Stadium.