The NFL still pretending they didn’t blackball Colin Kaepernick out of the league for trying to spotlight racial inequality issues?

— luis (@arellanes) February 8, 2021

Kaepernick last played in the league in 2016 and has been kept out since, despite his stated desire to play. Trump and the owners of most NFL teams spent years criticizing Kaepernick and making clear moves to prohibit players from protesting.

"We can't have the inmates running the prison," Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said in a meeting about allowing players to kneel during the national anthem like Kaepernick.

Kaepernick eventually received a settlement from the NFL for their decision to keep him out of the league, and he hoped to be signed after a workout in November 2019. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said there were teams interested in him but none agreed to sign him.

Goodell later acknowledged during the protests in 2020 after George Floyd's killing that the NFL was wrong for their treatment of Kaepernick.

“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to N.F.L. players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” Goodell said in a short video released last June.

“We, the National Football League, believe Black lives matter. I personally protest with you and want to be a part of the much-needed change in this country. Without black players, there would be no National Football League,” he added.

Kneeling-Protest

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