Colin Kaepernick reached a confidential settlement with the NFL more than a year after the former San Fransisco 49ers quarterback filed a collusion grievance against the league.
“For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and [Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid] have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL,” the athletes’ attorneys, Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas, said in a statement on Twitter on Friday, February 15. “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.”
Kaepernick, 31, filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners in November 2017, accusing them of colluding to keep him off the field after he stirred controversy a year earlier by kneeling during the national anthem as a peaceful protest against racial injustice. He has not played since becoming a free agent after the 2016 season.
Reid, 27, was the first player to join Kaepernick in kneeling during the anthem. In May 2018, the NFL Players Association filed a similar grievance against the league on Reid’s behalf.
“We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them,” the NFLPA said in a statement to ESPN on Friday. “We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract, and we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well.”
The scandal surrounding Kaepernick made headlines again earlier this month when Maroon 5 performed the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII. The Adam Levine-fronted band stood by their decision to take the gig, but they had trouble finding special guests. Us Weekly exclusively confirmed that Rihanna and Pink were among the acts who turned down the offer in support of the former 49ers star. Maroon 5 eventually secured Travis Scott and Big Boi.
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