Colin Kaepernick's story in the NFL was well-documented as he became a pariah around the league for his kneeling protests. In retrospect, Kaepernick was able to spark an entire movement although, at the time, teams saw it as the ultimate form of disrespect, and now, he is out of the league and it's unlikely he will ever be back.
Despite this treatment, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been praising Kaepernick as of late. Today, Goodell even mentioned Kaepernick during a press conference prior to the Super Bow. It was here that Goodell referenced Kaepernick's social justice work and what he's meant to the league.
"He deserves our recognition for that and our appreciation," Goodell said.
Colin Kaepernick">Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
Goodell had similar comments prior to the 2020 NFL season as he said: "I wish we had listened earlier, Kaep, to what you were kneeling about and what you were trying to bring attention to. ... It is not about the flag. The message here, and what our players are doing, is being mischaracterized. That misrepresentation in who they were and what they were doing was a thing that really gnawed at me."
While Goodell's words are kind, they don't negate the fact that Kaepernick was ultimately ousted from the league he had put in a ton of work for. To this day, Kaepernick still can't find work in professional football, and had the league listened sooner, he'd probably still be on a team.
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