The NFL has responded to the Nike campaign with Colin Kaepernick. The sporting goods manufacturer had made the quarterback the face of one of its advertising campaigns, the league now made a statement.
On Tuesday the league announced: “The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding and unity. We appreciate the role and responsibility of everyone in our sport to promote important, positive changes in our communities. The issue of social justice, which Colin and other professional athletes have put at the centre of attention, deserves our attention and our actions.”
Kaepernick has been without the NFL team since March 2017. After kneeling on the sidelines during the anthem to draw attention to social injustice, he has not found a new team since leaving San Francisco. Kaepernick has since taken the case to court, accusing the NFL team owners of having agreed not to commit him because of his protest.
The League had then tried to nip the case in the bud before he even went to court. But an expert recently decided that there was sufficient evidence to allow a trial in court. This negotiation could take place during the coming season.