Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is calling out Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during his book tour.
Kaepernick, 38, last played in the NFL in 2016. He began kneeling for the national anthem that year. Kaepernick, who played for the 49ers from 2011-16, did not receive a contract following that season.
Several NFL players took knees during the national anthem that year to protest police brutality and racial injustices, inspired by Kaepernick. Jerry Jones was among the NFL owners that did not support Kaepernick during his protest. He called the protests “disappointing” and applauded his Cowboys players for not partaking in them.
Kaepernick was asked about Jones and other NFL owners who didn’t support him during his book tour, as his memoir, “A Perilous Fight,” was released on September 15.
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Kaepernick did not hesitate when asked about Jones and other NFL owners, with a fiery message for them on stage.
“It’s the same thing that I’ve said in the past, which is, why are you so comfortable working against black folks trying to live?”
He added: “I mean, for me, people that worked, and I think this was one of the unique insights that I got in this process. People revealed who they were. And just stepping back for a moment. We were fighting specifically against police killing black folks.”
Kaepernick says that he’s amazed that anyone could be against what he was standing for (or rather kneeling for).
“It’s amazing to me that there’s anybody that’s like, ‘I’m against that.’ And I think the people who came out and fought against it revealed who they were revealed their intentions. And my question would be, why are you so comfortable with it? And the question for us, collectively. Why are we supporting it?”
Jerry Jones likely stands by his comments
Jones made it very clear where he stood at the time. He felt it was a major negative for the NFL as a whole.
“There is no question the league is suffering negative effects from these protests. Our ability to be substantive is based on having a strong NFL, a league that people are really interested in and want to watch and want to watch the games,” he said.
“At all times, if I am anything, I am first and foremost a proponent of making the NFL strong. Making us have as many people watching the game as we can and watching in light of what we are doing and that’s playing football. If all this makes you stronger to represent messages, let’s don’t do it in a way that tears down the strength of the NFL.”
The Cowboys, 2-2 on the year, will take on the Bucs on Thursday Night Football tomorrow evening.
