Kaepernick claims NFL actively blackballing him
Kaepernick claims NFL actively blackballing him
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Key Points
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Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL and team owners in November 2017 alleging collusion to keep him out of the league, and he withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement.
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He says Eric Reid, not Nate Boyer, suggested kneeling as the protest method during the 2016 demonstrations.
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Kaepernick notes he participated in an NFL-organized workout in 2019 and later had a workout with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 as part of attempts to return to the NFL.
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Know Your Rights Camp funds independent autopsies in cases of Black individuals; for example, the foundation helped cover autopsy costs for Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager.
Colin Kaepernick says the NFL is still actively blackballing him more than a decade after his 2016 kneeling protest began. Media Take Out reports the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback refuses to watch NFL games, accusing the league of targeting him and other players who protested alongside him. He argues the league's 2020 anti-racism statements by Commissioner Roger Goodell were performative rather than genuine.
Kaepernick and Eric Reid filed a collusion grievance in November 2017 alleging team owners conspired to keep them out of the league. The case settled confidentially in February 2019. The Grio reports that despite the settlement, Kaepernick remains critical of the NFL's racial-justice initiatives, calling them marketing rather than real action to address racial injustice. His memoir, The Perilous Fight, is set for September 15 release.
A Decade of Rejected Comebacks
Kaepernick participated in an NFL-organized workout in 2019 as part of his attempt to return to professional football. Later, he had another workout with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. Neither effort led to a contract offer. Kansas City Star reports he remains convinced the league blackballed him for his protest, preventing teams from signing him despite his peak performance years.
Goodell's Statements Called Empty Promises
In 2020, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a video condemning racism and pledging support for social justice causes. Kaepernick dismisses these remarks as hollow. The Jasmine Brand reports he argues the league's sponsorship of anti-racism messaging lacks real follow-through and integrity. He says the NFL's social-justice initiatives are designed to look good rather than create actual change in communities.
Know Your Rights Camp and Continued Activism
Beyond his NFL fight, Kaepernick runs Know Your Rights Camp, which educates Black and Brown communities. His foundation funds independent autopsies in cases where Black individuals die under unclear circumstances. The program helped cover autopsy costs for Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager. Kaepernick says the real measure of his protest's impact will come from future outcomes in racial justice, not from his own legacy.
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