If players were only paid to play, you might have an

Posted on: October 8, 2017 at 13:59:10 CT

argument. But of course, they are paid huge amounts of money which goes to secure good conduct as well. Read, Personal Conduct Policy.

Here is an example of a Personal Conduct Policy.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2017/08/11/0ap3000000828506.pdf

Conduct by anyone in the league that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must strive to conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.


There is also the stated policy of not allowing political messages on the sidelines under NFL Rule 5 Section 4 Articles 8-9, so as not to give offense to the public, who are paying money to watch the games.