Fox News has issued an apology for showing members of Philadelphia Eagles football team kneeling in prayer during a segment about National Anthem protests.
The Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to visit the White House on Tuesday to celebrate the team's Super Bowl Victory, but the White House reportedly canceled the scheduled event, citing disagreements with the athletes over the honoring of the National Anthem.
During a report on the cancellation, Fox News featured several photos of Eagles players who were kneeling in prayer.
Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, who was one of the players featured in the photos, decried the Fox News report, stressing that he had prayed before the playing of the anthem.
"This can't be serious. ... Praying before games with my teammates, well before the anthem, is being used for your propaganda?! Just sad, I feel like you guys should have to be better than this," he said in a Twitter post.
The Kansas City Star reported that Fox News apologized and deleted a Twitter post that featured the video of the segment.
"During our report about President Trump canceling the Philadelphia Eagles trip to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl win, we showed unrelated footage of players kneeling in prayer. To clarify, no members of the team knelt in protest during the national anthem throughout regular or post-season last year. We apologize for the error," the network said in a statement.
None of the Eagles players were seen kneeling to protest the National Anthem last season, according to Kansas City Star.
Cornerback Ron Brooks was seen in photos kneeling during a preseason game but the team had released him in August, Pro Football Talk reported.
The White House visit was reportedly canceled after several Eagles players expressed plans to skip the event.
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network claimed that less than 10 members of the team had planned to visit the White House prior to the cancellation.
Instead of hosting the Philadelphia Eagles, the White House opted to throw a gathering called a "Celebration of America," which reportedly featured music performed by the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Army Chorus.
The NFL has since introduced a new policy that would require players to stand during the National Anthem, but the athletes would be allowed to stay in the locker room if they choose.
Under the new policy, teams can face penalties if any of their players are seen protesting the National Anthem. The teams are allowed to impose fines on individual players who violate the rule, according to the Daily Mail.
