ETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / GRANT HALVERSON
Colin Kaepernick (right) kneels during his protests in 2016. Players and activists are calling for him to be given the chance to rebuild his NFL career
New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins called on the NFL to apologise to Colin Kaepernick on Tuesday, saying recent expressions of contrition would be meaningless while the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback remained isolated from the sport.
Jenkins, one of the founding members of the NFL's Players Coalition, which works to reform the US criminal justice and education systems, said the NFL had still yet to properly address Kaepernick's case.
Kaepernick was the first NFL player to begin protesting in 2016, refusing to stand for the US national anthem as a way of drawing attention to racial injustice and police brutality.
The 49ers star was subsequently released by the team in early 2017 and has not played in the NFL since, later alleging he had been blackballed by the league.
In a stunning U-turn On Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had botched its handling of player protests and vowed to support peaceful protests in future, although he did not mention Kaepernick.
Jenkins said on Tuesday the failure to acknowledge Kaepernick by name, and the fact that the 32-year-old remained unemployed, were marks against the NFL.
"I still don't think [the NFL has] gotten it right," Jenkins told CBS's "This Morning" program.
"Until they apologise, specifically, to Colin Kaepernick, or assign him to a team, I don't think that they will end up on the right side of history.
"At the end of the day, (the NFL have) listened to their players, they've donated money, they've created an Inspire Change platform; they've tried to do things up to this point.
- 'His protest is heard' -
"But it's been one player in particular that they have ignored and not acknowledged, and that's Colin Kaepernick.
New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins called on the NFL to apologise to Colin Kaepernick on Tuesday, saying recent expressions of contrition would be meaningless while the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback remained isolated from the sport.
Jenkins, one of the founding members of the NFL's Players Coalition, which works to reform the US criminal justice and education systems, said the NFL had still yet to properly address Kaepernick's case.
Kaepernick was the first NFL player to begin protesting in 2016, refusing to stand for the US national anthem as a way of drawing attention to racial injustice and police brutality.
The 49ers star was subsequently released by the team in early 2017 and has not played in the NFL since, later alleging he had been blackballed by the league.
In a stunning U-turn On Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had botched its handling of player protests and vowed to support peaceful protests in future, although he did not mention Kaepernick.
Jenkins said on Tuesday the failure to acknowledge Kaepernick by name, and the fact that the 32-year-old remained unemployed, were marks against the NFL.
"I still don't think [the NFL has] gotten it right," Jenkins told CBS's "This Morning" program.
"Until they apologise, specifically, to Colin Kaepernick, or assign him to a team, I don't think that they will end up on the right side of history.
"At the end of the day, (the NFL have) listened to their players, they've donated money, they've created an Inspire Change platform; they've tried to do things up to this point.
- 'His protest is heard' -
"But it's been one player in particular that they have ignored and not acknowledged, and that's Colin Kaepernick.
"That's the only thing people want to hear. If it's not going to correct that or acknowledge that, then everything else doesn't need to be said."
Jenkins comments were backed by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan who told a conference call on Tuesday that Kaepernick should be given a chance to win a spot back on an NFL roster.
"As far as Colin being back in the league, I think he should have every opportunity to," Ryan said.
"His protest is being heard at this point. It might have taken too long, but I think he should have every opportunity to have a job and to have a spot in this league."
Jenkins comments were backed by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan who told a conference call on Tuesday that Kaepernick should be given a chance to win a spot back on an NFL roster.
"As far as Colin being back in the league, I think he should have every opportunity to," Ryan said.
"His protest is being heard at this point. It might have taken too long, but I think he should have every opportunity to have a job and to have a spot in this league."
Kaepernick was also name-checked on Tuesday at the Houston funeral of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis on May 25 sparked the protests against systemic racism and police brutality that have swept across the United States in the weeks since.
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton said in a eulogy that Kaepernick deserved the opportunity to resurrect his career.
"It's nice to see some people change their mind. The head of the NFL said 'Yeah, maybe we was wrong. Football players, maybe they did have the right to peacefully protest,'" Sharpton said, referring to Goodell's statement.
"Well, don't apologise, give Colin Kaepernick his job back. Don't come with some empty apology. Take a man's livelihood, strip a man down of his talents, and four years later when the whole world is watching, all of a sudden you go and do a Facetime, talking about you're sorry?
"You're sorry? Then repay the damage you did to the career you stood down, because 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."
Al Sharpton to NFL at George Floyd's funeral: 'Don't apologize, give Colin Kaepernick a job back'
Jason Owens Yahoo Sports Jun 9, 2020, 2:48 PM
Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy for George Floyd at his funeral in Houston on Tuesday.
During his speech, he took the time to call out the NFL for its treatment of Colin Kaepernick.
Sharpton delivered a direct response to commissioner Roger Goodell’s mea culpa on Friday that the NFL was “wrong” to discourage players who peacefully protested police brutality and social injustice against black people.
Goodell’s statement arrived after a second week of daily protests nationwide and around the world in response to Floyd’s killing while in custody of the Minneapolis police. It also failed to mention Kaepernick, who lost his job as an NFL quarterback after leading the protest movement among players.
Rev. Al Sharpton called for action from the NFL during George Floyd's funeral. (Photo by Godofredo A. Vasquez/ AFP/Getty Images)More
‘Don’t come with some empty apology’
Sharpton didn’t call for Goodell to mention Kaepernick. He called for the NFL to give him his job back following a three-year absence from the league.
“It’s nice to see some people change their minds,” Sharpton said. “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.”
The line drew a standing ovation from some in attendance at Houston Memorial Gardens.
“Don’t come with some empty apology, take a man’s livelihood,” Sharpton continued. “Strip a man down of his talents and four years later when the whole world is marching, all of the sudden you go and do a FaceTime talking about you sorry. Minimizing the value of our lives.
“You sorry, then repay the damage you did to the career you stood down. Because 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.”
Sharpton made his statement shorty after introducing the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Pamela Turner, Michael Brown and Ahmaud Arbery, all of whom were black people killed in acts of violence, most of them at the hands of police.
“Equal justice,” Sharpton continued. “Equal fairness. We’re not anti-anybody. We are trying to stop people from being anti-us.”
Kaepernick’s fall from NFL starter
Kaepernick last played in 2016 for the San Francisco 49ers. The four-year starter opted for free agency that offseason at 29 years old after six seasons in San Francisco that included a Super Bowl appearance.
During his final season with the 49ers, Kaepernick completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 appearances. He also rushed for 468 yards and two touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry.
Since then, he hasn’t found work in the NFL as he became the center of a political firestorm helmed by President Donald Trump because of his social justice protests. Quarterbacks with considerably lesser skills and résumés regularly found work in the NFL as starters and backups.
Just last month, former NFL executive Joe Lockhart admitted that teams declined to sign Kaepernick because he was deemed “controversial,” not because of his football ability.
Meanwhile Kaepernick, 32, has repeated his desire to return to the NFL while touting his fitness and game readiness.
Goodell drew applause for his statement on player protests last week. But many, like Sharpton, are calling for action instead of words from the NFL. And that action looks like Kaepernick signing an NFL contract
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton said in a eulogy that Kaepernick deserved the opportunity to resurrect his career.
"It's nice to see some people change their mind. The head of the NFL said 'Yeah, maybe we was wrong. Football players, maybe they did have the right to peacefully protest,'" Sharpton said, referring to Goodell's statement.
"Well, don't apologise, give Colin Kaepernick his job back. Don't come with some empty apology. Take a man's livelihood, strip a man down of his talents, and four years later when the whole world is watching, all of a sudden you go and do a Facetime, talking about you're sorry?
"You're sorry? Then repay the damage you did to the career you stood down, because 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."
Al Sharpton to NFL at George Floyd's funeral: 'Don't apologize, give Colin Kaepernick a job back'
Jason Owens Yahoo Sports Jun 9, 2020, 2:48 PM
Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy for George Floyd at his funeral in Houston on Tuesday.
During his speech, he took the time to call out the NFL for its treatment of Colin Kaepernick.
Sharpton delivered a direct response to commissioner Roger Goodell’s mea culpa on Friday that the NFL was “wrong” to discourage players who peacefully protested police brutality and social injustice against black people.
Goodell’s statement arrived after a second week of daily protests nationwide and around the world in response to Floyd’s killing while in custody of the Minneapolis police. It also failed to mention Kaepernick, who lost his job as an NFL quarterback after leading the protest movement among players.
Rev. Al Sharpton called for action from the NFL during George Floyd's funeral. (Photo by Godofredo A. Vasquez/ AFP/Getty Images)More
‘Don’t come with some empty apology’
Sharpton didn’t call for Goodell to mention Kaepernick. He called for the NFL to give him his job back following a three-year absence from the league.
“It’s nice to see some people change their minds,” Sharpton said. “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.”
The line drew a standing ovation from some in attendance at Houston Memorial Gardens.
“Don’t come with some empty apology, take a man’s livelihood,” Sharpton continued. “Strip a man down of his talents and four years later when the whole world is marching, all of the sudden you go and do a FaceTime talking about you sorry. Minimizing the value of our lives.
“You sorry, then repay the damage you did to the career you stood down. Because 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.”
Sharpton made his statement shorty after introducing the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Pamela Turner, Michael Brown and Ahmaud Arbery, all of whom were black people killed in acts of violence, most of them at the hands of police.
“Equal justice,” Sharpton continued. “Equal fairness. We’re not anti-anybody. We are trying to stop people from being anti-us.”
Kaepernick’s fall from NFL starter
Kaepernick last played in 2016 for the San Francisco 49ers. The four-year starter opted for free agency that offseason at 29 years old after six seasons in San Francisco that included a Super Bowl appearance.
During his final season with the 49ers, Kaepernick completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 appearances. He also rushed for 468 yards and two touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry.
Since then, he hasn’t found work in the NFL as he became the center of a political firestorm helmed by President Donald Trump because of his social justice protests. Quarterbacks with considerably lesser skills and résumés regularly found work in the NFL as starters and backups.
Just last month, former NFL executive Joe Lockhart admitted that teams declined to sign Kaepernick because he was deemed “controversial,” not because of his football ability.
Meanwhile Kaepernick, 32, has repeated his desire to return to the NFL while touting his fitness and game readiness.
Goodell drew applause for his statement on player protests last week. But many, like Sharpton, are calling for action instead of words from the NFL. And that action looks like Kaepernick signing an NFL contract
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