NFL owners achieved a scary and frightening goal with Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick's potential NFL return seems unlikely now that training camps are opening up and he remains a free agent. This is unfortunate given that he spent the offseason training and openly trying to make a return.
Fans will hear the usual explanations as to why he remains unsigned. These include his age, his ability, and the fact that he has not played in the NFL since 2016. But there's a rumor that has hung over Colin Kaepernick's head for many years. Some believe that the franchise owners colluded to keep him out of the league following his national anthem protests in 2016.
But is this more than a conspiracy theory? Colin Kaepernick certainly thought so. He filed a lawsuit against the NFL for colluding to keep him out of the league. The lawsuit was settled in early 2019 and the NFL and Kaepernick's counsel released the following statement:
“For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL. As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances. The resolution of this matter is subject to a confidentiality agreement so there will be no further comment by any party.”
Realistically, this means that we will likely never know. Franchises banding together to keep players out of the NFL is a scary thought, but again there's no evidence to corroborate that it happened.
Colin Kaepernick is out of the NFL, unlike Daniel Snyder and Deshaun Watson
NFL owners have a lot of power and impact in running the league. Often, they operate with a different set of rules than players or executives. They are able to rebound and deflect from the issues they face. The Dan Snyder situation at the moment is a perfect example of this.
The Washington Commanders owner has been accused of harboring a toxic workplace environment for years. He is also accused of sexual harassment. But he seems to be dodging the United States Congress for questioning. Instead, Roger Goodell answered questions on his behalf. A player could not get away with this, but there appears to be a different rulebook for owners. It is a shocking reality that fans are coming to terms with.
One of the phrases you will hear in the NFL world is "talent trumps all." If you compare Colin Kaepernick's situation to Deshaun Watson's, you can see there's some truth to this. One player engaged in a peaceful protest, whereas the other has been accused by 24 women of sexual misconduct. The key difference between the two is that Watson's on-field value is much greater than Kaepernick's.
Unfortunately for Colin Kaepernick, he was replaceable as he was not at the top of his game when he left the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. With time running out, it seems unlikely that he will make his comeback on the NFL stage.
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