Kaepernick's attorney insists the NFL colluded against his client over fear of the President
Not only are the NFL owners colluding against Colin Kaepernick, the embattled free agent quarterback's lawyer claims, but they did so out of fear of President Donald Trump, who has seized upon the issue of players protesting during the national anthem.
According to Kaepernick's attorney Mark Geragos, one of the 32 team owners testified under oath that he opted against signing the embattled quarterback after Trump began blasting the protests, which were started by Kaepernick in 2016 as a way to raise awareness about inequality and police brutality against minorities.
Kaepernick, 30, is suing the NFL, accusing the owners of colluding against him in retaliation for his role in starting the controversial protests. The former Super Bowl starter has been without a team since March of 2016, and as Geragos told CBS Sports Radio legal analyst Amy Dash on her 'Straight Aim' podcast, he believes the owners have shunned Kaepernick directly because of Trump.
'The only reason - and the owners will admit that - they haven't signed him is they're afraid of Trump, and they've colluded because of Trump,' Geragos said.
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick (No. 7) is suing the NFL, accusing the owners of colluding against him in retaliation for his role in starting the controversial protests. His former teammate Eric Reid (left) has filed his own suit against the league for the same reasons
According to Kaepernick's attorney Mark Geragos (left), one of the 32 team owners testified under oath that he opted against signing the embattled quarterback after President Donald Trump began blasting the protests, which were started by Kaepernick in 2016 as a way to raise awareness about inequality and police brutality against minorities
Geragos's accusation comes as The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump warned Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones not to challenge him with regards to the controversy surrounding the national anthem.
'This is a very winning, strong issue for me,' Trump told Jones, according to a sworn deposition given by the Cowboys owner and given to the Journal. 'Tell everybody, you can't win this one. This one lifts me.'
Jones was deposed as part of Kaepernick's grievance.
When reached for comment, a White House spokesperson did not deny Trump's alleged statement.
'The majority of the American people agree with the president, love our country, love our flag and believe it should be respected,' read the statement given to the Journal.
Last week the NFL announced a new policy aimed at ending the controversy surrounding the national anthem. For the first time since before the 2009 season, NFL players will be allowed to choose whether or not they are on the field during The Star-Spangled Banner. However, teams will now face fines if any of their personnel fails to show what the league considers proper respect for the flag and anthem. Teams would then have the option of fining any players.
Prior to a game in September, the Dallas Cowboys took a knee before rising as a team to stand for the national anthem. Since then, owner Jerry Jones has vocally opposed the protests
Although the Cowboys were actually standing for the anthem, President Donald Trump still used the opportunity to suggest that fans were booing the team's decision to kneel together
Trump reacted to the decision by suggesting that any players who fail to stand for the anthem should leave the country. Meanwhile, the NFL Players Association objected to the move, largely because the union was not involved in the decision.
NFLPA STATEMENT The NFL chose to not consult the union in the development of this new 'policy.' NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about. The vote by NFL club CEOs today contradicts the statements made to our player leadership by Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairman of the NFL’s Management Council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our League. Our union will review the new “policy” and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.
San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York and Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis both abstained from the vote, which was otherwise was unanimous, while New York Jets chairman Chris Johnson said he would not be fining any players who choose to kneel in protest.
Geragos, meanwhile, thinks the NFL's decision helps his client's case.
'This substantiates everything we have thought all along and just proves that they colluded,' Geragos said. 'I think clearly the fact that they said it [the vote] was [said to be] unanimous, yet then it startled to trickle down that two of the owners abstained and then another said that he would absorb it, and then another owner called it idiotic and then [Golden State Warriors coach] Steve Kerr called it idiotic, I think it's clear you can use that as a piece of evidence to show that they've colluded.'
Geragos predicted that the new policy will be challenged in court, but did not say if he would be the attorney to do so.
He also said that high-profile coaches have testified that Kaepernick is a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL.
'In this civil case, there's no doubt that the existing coaches - and I'm talking about Super Bowl-winning coaches - have testified under oath that he's a starting quarterback in this league, and so that's mind boggling,' Geragos said. 'When you ask them... specifically why he isn't he being hired ... they say because of the national anthem policy.'
Not only is Kaepernick suing the league, but his former teammate, safety Eric Reid, is also claiming the NFL owners have colluded against him for kneeling alongside Kaepernick and continuing to do so after the quarterback's tenure in San Francisco ended.
Several NFL stars are reportedly considering not playing until Kaepernick and Reid are signed by teams.
According to columnist Shaun King, the protesting players are hoping that up to 25 per cent of the league will join them in sitting out.
Recently the Cincinnati Bengals reportedly passed on Reid because of his activism.
The former Pro Bowler safety previously said he is not planning on protesting in 2018. However, when pressed on the subject by Bengals owner Mike Brown during a a recent interview, Reid stopped short of promising to stand for the anthem throughout the upcoming season, according to Pro Football Talk.
The Bengals coaches were reportedly interested in signing Reid, a former first-round pick who was an All-American at LSU, but Brown supposedly plans on prohibiting players from protesting in 2018, which is reportedly why the Bengals passed.
Columnist Shaun King revealed the news that NFL players are considering missing matches
After Reid met with Brown he reportedly took a physical and went over film with coaches, who he believed to be interested in signing him. Later, however, head coach Marvin Lewis asked Reid to clarify his answer on protesting, but Reid declined and left without an offer from the Bengals.
Reid previously wrote on Twitter that his activism was affecting his search for a new team.
'The notion that I can be a great signing for your team for cheap, not because of my skill set but because I've protested systemic oppression, is ludicrous. If you think is, then your mindset is part of the problem too,' Reid tweeted in March.
He also tweeted that it was the owners who don't want to be linked to him - not general managers - which is reportedly the case in Cincinnati.
'GMs aren't the hold up broski,' Reid tweeted last month. 'It's ownership. People who know football know who can play. People who know me, know my character.
Reid made $5.7million with the 49ers last year alone, and originally signed a four-year contract worth $8.5million with a $4.5million signing bonus.
Kaepernick reportedly had a similar experience with the Seattle Seahawks, according to an ESPN report.
He was scheduled to work out for the team in April, but that trip was reportedly postponed by team officials because the controversial quarterback would not promise to stand for the national anthem throughout the upcoming season.
Safety Eric Reid (right) was an All-American at LSU, a first-round pick, and a Pro Bowler, but suddenly cannot find any NFL team willing to sign him as a free agent
Several influential NFL players have argued that Kaepernick deserves to be in the NFL after leading the 49ers to three NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl.
Both New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers have said they believe he should be on a roster, with Rodgers going so far as to tell ESPN he thinks the Wisconsin native is being blackballed.
'I think he should be on a roster right now,' Rodgers said. 'I think because of his protests, he's not.'
In 69 games (58 starts), all with the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick was 28-30 and had thrown for 12,271 yards, completing 59 percent of his passes and tossing 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
Kaepernick, who hasn't played since January 1, 2017, also has 2,300 career rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
He hasn't had a workout with any NFL teams since becoming a free agent.
Kaepernick met with Seattle during free-agency last offseason, but the team opted instead to sign Austin Davis to back up Russell Wilson. This year the Seahawks signed journeyman backup Stephen Morris instead of Kaepernick.
Jones and the Cowboys were on the front lines of the controversy in September, after Trump called protesting players 'sons of b******' during a rally in Alabama.
Before their ensuing game, the Cowboys and Jones decided to kneel together on the field before rising as one for the entirety of the national anthem.
However, Trump made no reference to that distinction when tweeting about the incident the next morning: 'The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was the loudest I have ever heard. Great anger.'
Since then, Jones said his players 'will always stand' for the national anthem. In part, Jones explained, he was concerned that the protests were turning off existing and potential sponsors.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett link arms with their team during that national anthem prior to the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals on September 25