ICYMI: "We’ve been listening" - When Bills co-owner Kim Pegula refused to kneel amid Colin Kaepernick kneeling saga
Colin Kaepernick’s left a lasting mark on the NFL. Although he has not played a snap since 2016, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s name still surfaces whenever a team is in dire need of a quarterback.
His decision to kneel during the national anthem played at NFL games sparked a nationwide debate between protesting police brutality and respect for the national anthem and the U.S. flag. Although Kaepernick has repeatedly said his kneeling is only to protest and bring awareness to police brutality and has nothing to do with disrespecting the national anthem (or the U.S. military), critics find his actions controversial.
A rebuilding Seahawks team with Colin Kaepernick under center is the perfect storm of upside and fun and I won't hear otherwise.
In 2020 during the pandemic and ahead of the NFL season, Buffalo Bills co-owner Kim Pegula went further and publicly stated that she would not take a knee during the anthem but understands Kaepernick's stance. She went on WGR-550 radio, a local Buffalo radio station, and said:
“Personally, I’m not going to kneel. But we’ve been listening. We’ve been learning to love other people and understand experiences and what they have gone through, what they’ve experienced, and what maybe the anthem or the flag means to them, it’s truly different than what I went through."
The NFL changed its tune about Colin Kaepernick and kneeling
The calendar year in 2020 saw the NFL navigating the complexities of playing regular-season games to empty seats in stadiums as vaccinations were not yet available. That same season, the league took a 180-degree turn from its initial harsh stance of disallowing players from kneeling during the anthem. Instead, the NFL acknowledged it was aware and would do its part in helping further awareness of and fight racial injustice.
Colin Kaepernick is still working out and is said to be, in the words of one source, “in the best shape of his life. He wants to play. He’s ready play. He would be a great fit for teams with QB vacancies to fill who want to win a Super Bowl.” twitter.com/kaepernick7/st…
The 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick in 2011 in the second round with the 36th pick. In six years in the NFL, Colin Kaepernick threw for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns against 30 interceptions. He led the 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2013, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31. After another bright campaign in 2014, Kaepernick had two lackluster seasons in 2015 and 2016 and was subsequently released by the 49ers. The quarterback has since been out of the league.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated in 2020 that he hoped an NFL team would sign Kaepernick, but the former 49ers quarterback has yet to sign with any team.