Brandon Hill
“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
The iconic and unforgettable Nike campaign graced countless social media feeds over the summer. Behind the words, the somber face of Colin Kaepernick gazed upon the audience.
Kaepernick was all in against the NFL.
He sued the National Football League, accusing owners of colluding against him. There were rumors of evidence against multiple owners — conversations calling for a united front against a talented player. The Seahawks declined a valuable insurance policy for Russell Wilson. The Ravens declined a potential mentor for Lamar Jackson. The Redskins remained content with Colt McCoy, then Mark Sanchez, then Josh Johnson.
What, the name Josh Johnson doesn’t ring a bell? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It looked like the beginning of a long, yet incredibly important battle. Here stood a man unafraid of voicing his beliefs and in return was unjustly punished.
Miserable quarterbacks and inexperienced rookies swamped the league. Many football fans watch with disbelief as team after team dismissed Kaepernick in favor of overrated and undertalented signal callers. Kaep, a one-time Super Bowl starter, watched from home.
But then in February, the battle ceased. The gears of an upcoming societal reckoning ground to a halt. Kaepernick and the NFL were settling.
Some said — mostly via social media — Kaepernick was in the right. His rumored offer of $60 to $80 million exceeds the average quarterback salary. Former ESPN commentator Jemele Hill said via The Atlantic that the Kaepernick saga came to a satisfying conclusion with his settlement.
“Technically, the NFL did not admit that it conspired to blackball Kaepernick from the league after he began taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice,” she wrote. “But nontechnically speaking, the NFL lost. Massively.”
And she’s right. The NFL silently admitted to guilt.
But Kaepernick lost, too. So did his supporters. He lost his cause, his moral high ground. He lost his movement.
This isn’t to say he shouldn’t have sought financial compensation for the NFL’s wrongdoing.
He had starting-quarterback talent, and eventually got paid for such. But in recent years, Kaepernick has evolved past the bicep-kissing, play-action scrambling QB we became familiar with seasons ago.
He became a leader, apparently willingly. His Nike endorsement portrayed him as a man with a cause, willing to do whatever it took to drive change in the league and beyond.
Now, Kaepernick is sworn to silence, sent home with a stack of cash while the headline-grabbing movement he started fades behind him.
Had he been just a football player, this wouldn’t have mattered. If he had not grabbed the spotlight with his silent protest, none of this would matter.
But Kaepernick took up the mantle of leader in a move reminiscent of Lebron James’s “bigger than basketball” activism.
Will he ever play again? It doesn’t matter. The NFL admitted wrongdoing, but Kaepernick admitted his complacency. Kaep and the NFL mutually agreed to put the matter to bed.
And I, for one, am a bit tired of mutual decisions.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill