Colin Kaepernick speaks to media. September 1, 2016.
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Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has settled his collusion complaint with the NFL. Kaepernick took the league to court in 2017 along with former teammate Eric Reid, arguing that teams owners conspired to keep them from playing football due to their kneeling political demonstrations during the national anthem played before games.
Yahoo News were the first to report the end of the legal proceedings. Kaepernick confirmed this report, retweeting a statement from his lawyer Mark Geragos. The NFL published an identical version of the statement on its website.
The terms of the settlement were not revealed. Citing a confidentiality agreement, Kaepernick's attorneys and the NFL said "there will be no further comment by any party."
In its own statement, the NFL Players Association claimed it was not informed of the settlement, "but support the decision by the players and their counsel."
Colin Kaepernick's struggle with the NFL has resonated throughout popular culture since the beginning of his protests, and picked up when Kaepernick was not signed to a team after becoming a free agent. He was named GQ's Citizen of the Year in 2017, donated thousands of dollars to different charitable organizations as part of his Million Dollar Pledge. In September he was named the face of Nike's "Just Do It" campaign, sparking outrage and increased sales.
The 2019 Super Bowl halt time show showcased the influence Kaepernick still had. Artists like Rihanna and Cardi B refused to perform at the show in solidarity with Kaepernick. After organizers struggled to find a headliner, Maroon 5 were announced. A petition asking guest performers Travis Scott and Big Boi to take a knee during the show drew tens of thousands of signatures.