Weidner's Words: Kaepernick and the NFL settle

On Friday afternoon, it was reported that the ongoing collusion case between former 49ers quarterback and prominent social activist Colin Kaepernick, his former teammate Eric Reid and the NFL had finally reached a conclusion. Kaepernick and Reid's lawyers decided to settle with the NFL before the case entered the full hearing, according to a statement that was released on Friday. The non-disclosure agreement prevents the amount of the settlement from being public knowledge, but it seems likely that Kaepernick and Reid didn’t have much incentive to settle without a hefty sum from the league officials.

Reid now has a new contract and will continue in the NFL, but it is unclear if Kaepernick will do the same, or if he will ever even find a job as a quarterback again. Depending on how much the league feels the settlement has done to resolve the bad publicity they were attempting to ignore, it still seems unlikely that any team will change their mind now after two years of not giving Kaepernick a look.

Many of Kaepernick’s most outspoken critics have attempted to jump on the knowledge of the settlement and manipulate the situation to diminish his voice and distort his message. The Fox Sports radio host Clay Travis tweeted that “Colin Kaepernick was all about the money.” But the argument that he sold out doesn’t make any sense when the goal of the legal action was financial compensation in the first place. Kaepernick and Reid were pushing the action forward to recoup the past and future earnings that were denied to them because the NFL owners decided his message of racial justice wasn’t palatable enough for its audience.

With his new Nike endorsement deal and the platform that Kaepernick has built, he is likely not finished with his activism, and this settlement won’t be a curtain call. Even if it was, in the last three years Kaepernick advanced a conversation about police brutality and racism in this country, creating awareness in almost every living room in America using one of the biggest stages the country has to offer: the NFL. He highlighted an issue that, while prominent and obvious to many, was often ignored by a large portion of the United States, and he forced people to confront the realities of racial justice and discriminatory policing practices.

Other athletes have expressed their support for Kaepernick since the news of the settlement broke this weekend. LeBron James, who is also known for his own social activism, said that he was happy Kaepernick had won the settlement during one of his interviews this NBA All-Star weekend. “I stand with Kaep, I kneel with Kaep," James added.

The NFL probably hopes that this settlement will be a large step in putting the controversy behind them. The move to settle is familiar territory for the NFL, as they often protect their public image with their impenetrable bags of funds. The strategy is similar to another settlement they made regarding head injuries a few years ago. It remains to be seen whether other players will continue any form of protest, or whether large-scale boycotts of the NFL will begin to affect the league's public stance on these divisive issues.