Colin Kaepernick Files Grievance With NFLPA Claiming Owners Colluded Against Him

Colin Kaepernick still wants to play football in the NFL. He has been searching for a job in the league since he opted out of his contract with the 49ers this past off season.

Just last week Kaepernick reached out to the Titans front office after Marcus Mariota was injured.

Despite his best efforts Kaepernick can not find work on an NFL team. The quarterback now thinks that the NFL owners are colluding against him.

Owners and teams have the ability to decide whether or not to sign players for any reason, however under the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) the NFL and owners as a group cannot decide to prevent a player’s employment.

Kaepernick has been a major source of controversy in the league beginning last season when he made the decision to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality.

Kaepernick’s lack of employment has been a major point of contention. Players like Richard Sherman believe that Kaepernick has not been signed because of his protest, “You have about eight elites, and then you have the rest of the league. You have about eight, nine elite quarterbacks. You have two or three who have the potential to be elite. And then you have the rest of the teams. So he could play and start on a ton of teams in this league. He would be a starter on probably 20 of the teams in this league. But you’re telling me that you’re going to let other guys, you’re going to pick up some of these other guys and tell me that they’re starters?”

While it may not be politically or morally okay, under the CBA is not illegal. The teams as individual organizations have the ability to decide that due to Kaepernick’s protest they do not want to sign him. What he will have to prove is that the owners either met or exchanged communication agreeing to blackball him.

Kaepernick’s legal team released this statement.