NFL, Colin Kaepernick settle collusion lawsuit
By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The National Football League and lawyers working on behalf of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick have struck a deal to end a lawsuit that alleged teams were colluding to keep Kaepernick out of the NFL.
The two sides announced the end to the litigation on Friday, saying they had decided to “resolve the pending grievances.”
Former 49ers safety and current Carolina Panthers player Eric Reid was also apart of the legal action.
“For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL,” the two sides said in a statement. “As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances. The resolution of this matter is subject to a confidentiality agreement so there will be no further comment by any party.”
Kaepernick has remained out of the league since 2017. He began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial inequality and police brutality, drawing the ire of many and strong support from others.
The NFL Players Association issued a statement Friday signaling their support for Kaepernick and Reid.
“Today, we were informed by the NFL of the settlement of the Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid collusion cases,” the Players Association said. “We are not privy to the details of the settlement, but support the decision by the players and their counsel. We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them. We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract, and we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well.”
Yahoo Sports reported Friday that the collusion case was set for a final hearing later this month.
NFL reporter Mike Freeman reported that the settlement may have been somewhere in the $60-$80 million range.
Number NFL team officials are speculating to me is the NFL paid Kaepernick in the $60 to $80 million range.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) February 15, 2019
You can hear Matt McCarthy on various 98.5 The Sports Hub programs. Follow him on Twitter @MattMcCarthy985.
