Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick has filed a lawsuit that alleges collusion by the NFL’s owners to keep him out of the league, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (all Twitter links). Kaepernick, who has hired high-profile attorney Mark Geragos, will release a statement on the lawsuit in the near future, per Freeman.
Kaepernick, of course, originated kneeling during the national anthem as a form of silent protest during the 2016 season, and has since been unable to land an NFL contract. While Kaepernick certainly doesn’t fit every offense in the league, it’s difficult to argue that his social activism hasn’t played at least some role in his failure to earn a roster spot.
As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported last week, Kaepernick has been diligent about contacting clubs with potential vacancies at quarterback, but as of yet, no team has been willing to enter negotiations or even met with the former 49ers signal-caller aside from the Seahawks, who ultimately chose journeyman Austin Davis as their backup selection. Kaepernick reportedly reached out to the Titans following Marcus Mariota‘s recent injury, but Tennessee had no interest.
Kaerpernick’s lawsuit wasn’t filed in conjunction with the NFLPA, but the union will still support him in his legal battle, reports Mike Jones of USA Today (Twitter link). Still, proving collusion could prove tough, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explains (Twitter links) simply arguing Kaepernick is a better player that other quarterbacks who have landed contracts may not satisfy the contractual bargaining agreement’s “burden of proof.”
Teams aren’t colluding, everyone universally agrees that he’s a lousy qb and a disgrace to the league and to the nation. Michael Vick thinks this guy’s a scum bag.
Ouch
And Mike Vick was willing to take a 3rd string role, keep his mouth shut and earn it all back.
This will accomplish absolutely nothing
It will accomplish as much as Worst MLB ump Angel Hernandez’s lawsuit against the MLB for not being on a postseason umpiring roster… because he’s Cuban. Can’t make that stuff up
Both of u fools shut up I bet both of u parents are members of the kkk
You rock.
I forgot, it’s 2017. Everyone that doesn’t wholeheartedly agree with everything you say is a racist.
Ha, hope this genius winds up with “u team.” U made for each other.
Just when you thought he couldn’t be a bigger scumbag…
Oh give him a chance I’m sure he can be the biggest scumbag of all time.
All you idiots are in the KKK
Then so is his momma and adoptive parents…
Colin you made your bed, now sleep in it. Or kneel in it, whatever you want to do.
Lmao. Perfect. He sucks as a player and a poster boy no team wants. Collusion is so so hard to prove any way. Nothing here
Unless they find the mass email sent from one team to all other teams saying “Don’t sign this guy”, he will have an uphill battle for this one. Each team independently made the smart decision to avoid him based on his lack of talent to be an NFL QB. CFL actually fits his style, and no Star Spangled Banner to kneel during up there.
Surprised Ray Rice hasn’t filed this suit, he’d stand a better chance with it.
No collusion. No one wants a headache, on the field and on the sidelines.
Teams dont have to sign anyone. Its not a right to play in the NFL. What a joke this guy is.
All a judge has to do is ask him if he opted out of his contract or was released. Case dismissed. Throwing a fit like this will just seal his fate
False
Derided for exercising his right to free speech. I hope something comes of the lawsuit, even if it’s just to show that players shouldn’t be threatened with their livelihood for exercising the rights that so many have died to protect.
Those rights don’t always translate to the workplace.
If your on my clock, you represent me , not your opinion….
I and I’m sure a lot of other people around here would be severely disciplined for taking our extracurricular social activism into the office. It’s a public image problem when employees do things on the clock that could make members of the public feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. I can’t even engage the public in certain topics of conversation while still officially representing my employer.
It’s not making a courageous stand for justice if you aren’t willing to accept the side effects. He took a very visible “stand” on a divisive issue and if he didn’t anticipate backlash that’s on him.
You are using the free speech rights wrong ! There are consequences for everything we say
He had a contract, he opted out of it,,on his own, no one forced him,,,,,shows what kind of Moronic Azz Clown Idiot is. F$ck him!!!!!!
Exactly! His agent is an even bigger moron for how handled that whole situation between signing an extension and then re-working it into the deal it became.
He will quit on this too.
Gift wrap this guy and send him to Canada…. no one wants that poor excuse for a QB.
I could represent the NFL and win this argument…….#1 ur a turd between the lines, a HUGE distraction off the field, not counting your new mouthy girlfriend/PR representative, juice ain’t worth the squeeze…..AND where is RG3s, Thad Lewis’, Tebows, Aaron Murrays, Mettenbergers, ETC class action “Hey I Wanna Play” lawsuit…..? Turd.
Any chance of him getting signed by a team is now done
He didn’t want to play anyway, it’s all a show for him now, he’s trying to play the martyr role.
I’m looking forward to seeing how those casting him as a political martyr will spin this when he loses this case. His biggest problem isn’t that if he’s good enough to make an NFL roster is a subjective question; it’s that no one wanted him even before he ever took a knee. The timeline doesn’t support his claim that his protest even made an impact. During the 2015 season he lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert (not exactly an all pro) and couldn’t get it back and hold on to it, despite being given chances that season and in 2016. In March of 2016 the 49ers wanted to get rid of him and tried to trade him. The Browns and the Jets said no thanks (and it really says something if you’re not a good enough QB for the 2016 Browns or Jets). Denver then had some talks since Manning retired and Osweiler left. They had NO QB with ANY experience on the roster and were only interested for a 6th round pick of Kaep would accept a pay cut. Kaep said no to the pay cut and Denver went with Treavor Siemian (7th round pick the year before, with 1 NFL game in his career at that point), Paxton Lynch (drafted just after trade talks broke up), and Mark Sanchez (traded for after trade talks with Kaep ended). It was only after all of this that he took a knee starting in August 2016, hoping it would force a trade out of San Francisco. Even this off season Seattle took a look, but Kaep made it clear he wanted a chance to compete for a starting job and wanted to be paid like a starter. Unsurprisingly the guy who had been passed over for Mark Sanchez, Blaine Gabbert, Brian Hoyer, and Cody Kessler couldn’t find a team willing to offer him starter money. Now tell me why he’s a great QB and how his inability to find a job (or to hold the job he had) is just because he would not standing for the national anthem?
I don’t doubt that teams are reticent to sign him because he’s not good enough at football to offset how big of a sideshow he’s going to be. Teams independently arriving at this pretty simple conclusion is not collusion. A quick browse of PFR articles pretty much blows his lawsuit open. It was his own salary demands that nixed several destinations for him.
Meanwhile NFL viewership is down almost 20% the last two years. That’s not by any means exclusively because of this anthem stuff as traditional media is really struggling these days, but it’s impossible to argue that it isn’t an element. Maybe he should sue the fans for collusion.
Good one, lol
I am a judge and I would vote in his favor!
Kap is 100% right!
Good for him for finally holding these owners accountable.
False
I once judged a bikini contest so I’m a judge too!
And I would rule against him.
So the current official judge tally is 1 – q
lol
Right on! It is about time the “good old boys” of the NFL (especially Jerry Jones) are told that civil rights do apply to their league and if they wish to continue to operate under the laws of a country that enables them to conduct a business that is given tax breaks, protection from trade mark infringement and other entitlements, they need to respect the Constitutional rights and guidelines of all members of the players’ union – a group that includes Mr. Kapernick,
Must’ve missed the part in the Constitution that delineates the unalienable rights of a sub-par quarterback to hold a 2nd string QB spot in the NFL.
Read the Constitution again, dude. The Forty-Ninth Amendment reads: “The right of millionaire athletes to perform poorly enough to lose their starting jobs, desire to play somewhere else but refuse to take a pay cut to facilitate the move, then bellyache their way to a renegotiated contract with an opt out, execute said opt out, spend half the offseason going on about not taking backup pay, and then complain about how they’re being singled out for their views, shall not be infringed.”
The good old boys records on civil rights looks pretty good. ~70% of the league is black and the average NFL salary is $1.9M. Not exactly below the poverty line. Damn I wish liberals would at least apply a little logic occasionally.
Kap is a terrible QB! Can’t read defenses! Doesn’t put the time in the film or weight room. Way too long of a release. Makes horrible game decisions when forced out of the pocket ! PLUS he opted out of his contract on his own! HE QUIT!!
He only played down to those barely mediocre stats to draw attention to the plight of inner-city America…..when it was his time to shine and perform on the the field….he took a knee metaphorically as well and played poorly to show he couldn’t be exploited by the MAN ! U Go Bro !!!