Former NFL player lays waste to the league's hypocrisy on the American flag with one perfect photo

Former NFL quarterback Sage Rosenfels on Wednesday laid waste to the league's new policy mandating that players either stand for the national anthem before games or wait inside their locker rooms until the anthem is finished.

Writing on Twitter, the former player attacked the new NFL initiative by saying that "forced patriotism is the opposite of freedom."

He also said that, while he had the utmost respect for the men and women in America's military, "peaceful protests are extremely important for us to remain a free country."

Rosenfels then dropped the hammer on the NFL itself by quoting the official U.S. flag code that was established in the 1940s.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery," the code reads in part. "The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any way whatsoever."

He then posted a photo of an official player jersey being sold by the NFL that incorporates the flag into a player's number -- which is a direct violation of the U.S. flag code.

"This is really a great read," he said of the flag code. "I recommend it to everyone who has an opinion about NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem."