While the n-word has slipped into common use in some circles, its days are numbered on the NFL gridiron.
The agency that monitors diversity for the NFL says the league may institute a rule to penalize players 15 yards for using the word on the field, ABC News reports.
John Wooten, head of the group, the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said that the NFL's competition committee plans to agree to the rule next month before presenting it to owners. He said that the measure would be an automatic 15-yard penalty for first-time offenders and an ejection for second infractions.
"We did talk about it, I'm sure that you saw near the end of the year that Fritz Pollard (Alliance) came out very strong with the message that the league needs to do something about the language on the field," Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, who is on the league's competition committee, said, according to ABC News. "So we did discuss over the last three days."
The committee also discussed incorporating other slurs, including those aimed at gay men.
This isn’t the first time Wooten has spoken out against the n-word.
"I will be totally shocked if the competition committee does not uphold us on what we're trying to do," Wooten said, according to CBSSports.com. "We want this word to be policed from the parking lot to the equipment room to the locker room.
"Secretaries, PR people, whoever, we want it eliminated completely and want it policed everywhere," Wooten continued.
Read more at ABC News.