NFL Must Follow Through on Carlos Hyde's Colin Kaepernick Request to Prove They're Serious
By Scott Rogust
It took nearly four years for the NFL to give their support to players actively protesting racial issues and police brutality. Granted, it took a rogue employee and various star players producing a video to get them to do a 180, but it's progress. But what can they do to convince players that they've truly changed?
During a media call on Monday, new Seattle Seahawks RB Carlos Hyde said the league can back up their statement last week by getting a team to sign quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
New #Seahawks RB Carlos Hyde was asked what the NFL can do to show players they're serious about what they said in their statement last week: "They can start by signing Kap back.''
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) June 8, 2020
Hyde spent three seasons with Kaepernick in San Francisco.
Hyde is 100% correct to make this suggestion to commissioner Roger Goodell and the 32 team owners.
Back in 2016, Kaepernick riled up the United States by opting to take a knee during the national anthem as a movement to combat racial inequality and unnecessary force used by law enforcement officers. In various interviews, Kaepernick stressed that kneeling was not meant to disrespect the military, but many took it as an "Un-American act." But those very individuals ignored the fact that former Seahawks long-snapper and US Army Green Beret Nate Boyer gave that idea to Kaepernick as a way to show respect to the military while still getting his point across.
After the 2016 campaign, the former 49ers starting signal-caller was blackballed by the league, with the lone exception being a botched tryout in 2019. Kaepernick's not going to get a starter's job in 2020, but it's simply hard to look at the various backup jobs across the league today and say that they're better than the former 49er. It's simply impossible to justify.
Colin Kaepernick Still Training Like a Maniac to Play in NFL In 2020 https://t.co/wMaqdfWDv2
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 8, 2020
The country is in a current state of social unrest following the death of African American man George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police. Protests are taking place across the globe to ensure that African Americans receive basic human rights. Kaepernick donning an NFL uniform won't fix all of that, but it would be a sign that things are moving in the right direction.
The ball's in your court now, Roger.