Did Kaepernick Sue The NFL?
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Many people are wondering if former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has sued the NFL. The answer is yes, he has. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October 2017, alleging that the league and its teams colluded to keep him out of the league.
Who is Colin Kaepernick?
Colin Kaepernick is a former NFL quarterback who sparked a nationwide movement by kneeling during the national anthem to protest against police brutality and racial injustice. He hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016 and has filed a grievance against the league, alleging that team owners have colluded to keep him out of the league.
What is the NFL?
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of NFC and AFC.
What happened between Colin Kaepernick and the NFL?
In 2020, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL regarding his claims of collusion. Kaepernick had accused the NFL of working together to keep him from being signed by any team, in retaliation for his protests against racial injustice during the national anthem.
The settlement included a confidential financial agreement between Kaepernick and the NFL. Prior to the settlement, both sides had been scheduled to appear in front of an arbitration panel.
During his time with the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick was one of the most prominent faces of the national anthem protests that swept across the NFL in 2016. In kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Kaepernick sought to bring attention to racial injustice and police brutality in America.
Since becoming a free agent in 2017, Kaepernick has not been signed by any team in the NFL. He has accused teams of colluding to keep him out of the league, a claim that was supported by Panthers safety Eric Reid.
In February 2019, Reid and fellow free agent wide receiver Pierre Garçon filed grievances against the NFL alleging that they had been blacklisted because of their support for Kaepernick’s protests. Those grievances were later settled as part of the larger agreement between Kaepernick and the league.
Did Colin Kaepernick sue the NFL?
A lawsuit was filed by Colin Kaepernick against the NFL in October 2017, alleging that team owners had colluded to keep him unsigned. The suit was withdrawn in February 2019 after the two sides reached a confidential settlement.