Former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is a hero
Colin Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, came away with a major win against the NFL in their attempts to silence him following his heroic and courageous protest.
Colin Kaepernick started a conversation that made a lot of people uncomfortable because it forced them to examine their own privilege and the world around them in ways that they never had to before. Because of that, he was pushed out of the NFL, exiled for taking a knee for something bigger than the game of football.
It was never about his talent. It was never about his ability to read a defense or make a difficult pass. It had nothing to do with his foot speed, arm strength, or his record during a tumultuous final season with the San Francisco 49ers.
On Feb. 15, Kaepernick won the most important victory of his career. Bigger than setting an NFL record against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs or defeating the Atlanta Falcons to earn a Super Bowl berth, he handed the mighty National Football League an L.
He and former teammate Eric Reid (who recently signed a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers) settled their collusion grievances with the NFL. Though the sum of the settlement will not be officially made public, it’s clear that this was a major win for Kaepernick.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
Though even a rumored $80 million payout is nothing for an entity as powerful as the NFL, to force them to dish out that much money is significant. It’s not a stretch to conclude that the way Kaepernick’s grievance–which was filed in 2017–ended shows that he and Reid had strong cases to prove that the league and its teams intentionally kept the quarterback off a roster because of his protest against racism.
Kaepernick should have been signed as soon as he and the 49ers parted ways. Every time a mediocre quarterback reached an agreement with a team, the blackballing hurt more and more while his case grew stronger.
When Mark Sanchez joined Washington after failing a drug test in April 2018, something wasn’t right. When Josh Johnson, who hadn’t attempted a pass since 2011, also signed with Washington, it was obvious that it was never about Kaepernick not being good enough. Note: Kaepernick played in a Super Bowl more recently than Johnson had thrown a pass prior to 2018.
Mark Geragos, Kaepernick’s attorney, told CNN that he could see the Panthers or the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots reaching out to the quarterback. Whether or not he ever plays another snap in the NFL, Kaepernick has cemented himself as a hero and a revolutionary.
His protest–often misconstrued as a protest of the National Anthem–shed light on police brutality and the justice system’s systemic oppression of black and brown people. This settlement–already being twisted by opponents as some kind of “gotcha” moment–has nothing to do with him selling out or putting a price tag on his protest. It has to do with him securing money the league intentionally tried to deprive him of through no fault of his own as a football player.
Kaepernick has joined Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Carlos, and countless other great athletes who used their platforms for social change. By taking a knee, he started a movement. He sacrificed his job and his lifestyle for the betterment of his people.
Next. 3 potential cap casualties for the 49ers. dark
He is a hero and, now, after forcing the NFL to cut a check for their bigoted and ignorant attack on his career, he is a winner greater than anyone who ever lifted the Lombardi Trophy.