CBS clarifies report on Colin Kaepernick standing for anthem

CBS has “clarified” a report that indicated Colin Kaepernick said he would stand for the national anthem, saying that the issue was not, in fact, discussed:

That’s a pretty sharp departure from the initial report, which indicated Colin Kaepernick said he would stand for the national anthem if he were signed to an NFL team, according to CBS’s Jason La Canfora.

Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, began kneeling during the national anthem in the 2016 preseason as a way to protest racial injustice and police brutality. He opted out of his 49ers contract after the season, although he was informed he would have been cut regardless.

Since then, he has not signed with an NFL team, though he has had workouts and at least passing interest from several organizations. However, dozens of quarterbacks, many with skills demonstrably weaker than Kaepernick’s, have been signed in his wake.

Let’s be clear here: no team is obligated to give Kaepernick a job, or even a tryout. He made his choice to speak out, and he’s suffering the employment consequences of that speech. But anyone who continues to insist that only “football” reasons are keeping Kaepernick off the field is fooling themselves.

Kaepernick has continued to pursue charitable endeavors even while off the field. And protests have exploded across the NFL, driven largely by critical September commentary from President Trump.

Kaepernick’s girlfriend took to Twitter after the AP’s initial report to refute the idea that he would stand:

Kaepernick himself has also reached out to at least one journalist:

And Kaepernick himself issued what seems like a well-chosen quote:

This post has been updated to reflect changing news.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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