It’s been over a year since Colin Kaepernick first sat, then knelt during the playing of the national anthem, and despite being a worthy free agent at the quarterback position, he still remains unemployed.
That led to him filing a grievance with the National Football League, alleging that NFL owners have colluded to keep him off a roster. And while reports show that he may base part of his case around President Trump’s influence on the matter, it’s unclear whether he actually has a case in the first place.
But as The Ringer‘s Micah Peters argues, we’ve “lost sight of who Kaepernick is and what he wants.” By that, he means that Kaepernick just wants to be playing the game he’s good at—and at this point in the season, 39 backup QBs have been signed, and many of them aren’t even close to as talented as he is. And although the grievance filing will likely make this an impossibility, Peters writes, we’re still missing the point. “With this lawsuit, maybe he’s doing that again—and reclaiming his message from the league that has co-opted the same protest for which Kaepernick was condemned,” writes Peters.
He goes on to write that “Kaepernick lacks a contract because of purely political reasons, and arguments otherwise are disingenuous.” And that the grievance he filed was likely done so to make a point—and that, right there, is the point.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.