Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said he hopes players shift the focus away from the national anthem when it comes to protesting police brutality and racial inequality this season.

"Me personally, I really want to get this conversation to move away from the anthem," Jenkins told Kent Babb of the Washington Post. "I think it has served its purpose."

Washington corner Josh Norman, who works closely with Jenkins as part of the Players Coalition, criticized Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid for separating themselves from other players with the protests. 

"They weren't really organized and communicating with nobody," Norman said. "[Jenkins] was one of those who had a better plan than what was going on. He had got the guys and officials to work with him on so many things, and that's what we're going with."

"When he took a knee, everybody was in shock and everything, but when the bullets start flying, I was trying to figure out where he was at. He was ducking," Norman added, speaking of Kaepernick. "When you're in the line of fire and the guys that are over here are trying to have a conversation to move stuff forward, he didn't want to have that conversation."

The NFL enacted a new policy during the offseason that could penalize teams if players protested during the anthem. The policy gives players leeway to stay in the locker room and prohibits teams from punishing players who do protest. However, the NFL and the NFL Players Association put the policy on hold while the two sides try to develop mutually agreed upon rules for anthem conduct.

Kaepernick, 30, is unsigned for the second straight season after beginning the anthem protests in the 2016 season. He threw for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns against four interceptions during that campaign, numbers that appeared to be good enough to earn a roster spot.

The former 49er filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming owners colluded to keep him out of the league. Last week, an arbitrator denied the league's request to dismiss the case, allowing it to proceed to a full hearing.

Reid, 26, was the first player to join Kaepernick in his protests but has gone unsigned. He started 69 of his 70 NFL games in his first five seasons. Reid has also filed a collusion lawsuit.