Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid settle collusion lawsuits against NFL

Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid have reached a settlement with the NFL over their respective collusion lawsuits.

The news was confirmed in a joint statement from the players’ attorneys and the NFL on Friday, which also outlined that the agreement is subject to a confidentiality agreement.

“For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL,” the statement said.

“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.”

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick filed a grievance in August, 2017 claiming he remained unsigned as a result of collusion by owners, following his protests during the national anthem. He has not played in the NFL since 2016.

The filing stated the NFL and its owners “have colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick’s leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice and his bringing awareness to peculiar institutions still undermining racial equality in the United States.”

Arbitrator Stephen B. Burbank sent his case to trial, denying the league’s request to throw out Kaepernick’s claims. Burbank’s decision meant there was enough evidence of collusion to keep the grievances going.

Reid, who is a former team-mate of Kaepernick’s in San Francisco and joined him in protesting him during the anthem, filed a grievance in May 2018 after he went unsigned for the 2017 season following his release in San Francisco.

Reid eventually signed for the Carolina Panthers four weeks into the 2018 season. He signed a new three-year contract with the team earlier this week after impressing last season.

He stated he believed his new contract would aid him in his collusion grievance against the NFL.

Kaepernick began his protests in the 2016 pre-season, initially remaining on the team bench during the anthem before refining his approach and kneeling on the sideline, where he was soon joined by then team-mate Reid.

Players throughout the league joined in with the protests during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, with the movement intensifying after President Donald Trump called for protesting players to be “fired” and labelled them “sons of b******”.

Kaepernick was part of a new Nike campaign to mark the 30th anniversary of the sporting equipment giant’s iconic ‘Just Do It’ slogan.

The adverts, which were unveiled just days before the kick-off of the 2018 NFL season, displayed a portrait of Kaepernick with the slogan: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

The news Kaepernick and Reid have settled their cases was positively received by the NFL Players Association, the NFLPA, who say they remain hopeful Kaepernick may get another chance in the NFL.

“Today, we were informed by the NFL of the settlement of the Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid collusion cases,” the NFLPA confirmed in a statement.

“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 the 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 club 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.”

(c) Sky News 2019: Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid settle collusion lawsuits against NFL