Rev. Sharpton Calls Out NFL's Goodell During George Floyd Eulogy
HOUSTON (CBS SF) -- During his fiery eulogy at Tuesday's funeral for George Floyd in Houston, Reverend Al Sharpton called out NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on behalf of former 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
FULL COVERAGE: GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS
"Oh, it's nice to see some people change their minds," said Sharpton. "The head of the NFL said 'Yeah, maybe we was wrong. Football players, maybe they did have the right to peacefully protest.' Well, don't apologize; give Colin Kaepernick a job back!"
Those gathered in the church cheered in response.
Sharpton went on to blast Goodell's apology as "empty."
"You sorry? Then repay the damage you did to the career you stood down. 'Cause when Colin took a knee, he took it for the families in this building! And we don't want an apology, we want him repaired," said Sharpton.
Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL last year over claims he was denied jobs because of his 2016 protests.
Terms of the payout, thought to be in the millions, were never released.
Last week, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan used a call with Bay Area reporters to praise former quarterback Colin Kaepernick for trying to bring the issue of racism and police brutality to light with his protests during the national anthem.
"What he was doing was a big deal," Shanahan said Thursday about Kaepernick. "Whether you disagree with how he did it or not doesn't matter. It's three years later and there's still some people not understanding what his message was. Too many people aren't understanding the message that everyone's been giving for a long time, and Colin did it the strongest out of anyone. People should respect him a ton for that and admire him."
Kaepernick protested police brutality and racism during the 2016 season with the 49ers by taking a knee during the national anthem. He was joined by several teammates and others throughout the league.