Colin Kaepernick Reaches Settlement With NFL In Collusion Suit
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has reportedly reached a settlement with the NFL in his lawsuit against the league which accuses it of colluding against him to prevent him from playing over his choice to kneel during the national anthem of football games.
Los Angeles-based attorney Mark Geragos announced Friday that Kaepernick and his other client, Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, had reached settlements in their collusion lawsuits against the league. The terms are confidential.
"For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL," Geragos wrote in a statement. "As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances so there will be no further comment by any party."
Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2016 for the San Francisco 49ers and has remained unsigned since the end of that season. In October of 2017, he sued the league, accusing owners of colluding together to keep him from playing for any of its teams.
At the start of the 2016 season, Kaepernick began to sit or kneel during "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a form of protest against racial injustice, prompting a firestorm of controversy and a national conversation over the issue, which even President Donald Trump weighed in on. Dozens of players around the league joined Kaepernick in kneeling.
In September, apparel giant Nike created an advertising campaign around Kaepernick, which reignited the debate and prompted calls to boycott Nike products.
Reid was Kaepernick's teammate in San Francisco and was the second player to join him in taking a knee. He filed his own lawsuit against the league last year, but unlike Kaepernick, he continued to play for the 49ers in 2017 and then was signed by the Panthers in September of 2018. He started 13 games for them last season.
