It’s no secret that Colin Kaepernick received a hefty sum of money from the NFL as a result of a long legal battle. I remember reading the headlines and just being astonished at how much he was awarded. Let me tell you, it was a square whopper of a pay day! To be more specific, Kaepernick was awarded an astonishing $60 million settlement. This sum was arguably a testament to the NFL’s deep pockets, but more importantly it was an acknowledgment of the important issues that permeate professional football.
At the time the news of this settlement was released, a lot of people weren’t sure how they felt about it. On one hand, some people seized the opportunity to celebrate Kaepernick’s victory and applaud the NFL for setting the precedent of dealing with legal disputes appropriately. On the other hand, others were concerned about the precedent that was set. After all, why should a multi-billion dollar corporation pay out such a large sum of money?
My initial thought was that the settlement was indicative of a much larger issue. I believe that the NFL, as a lot of other big corporations, has a history of wrongfully discriminating against their employees. Publicly, they tried to cover up a lot of this evidence, however privately they were more willing to come to an agreement. Though I felt that the settlement wasn’t really enough, it did bring attention to the issues in the NFL.
One thing I don’t think people fully understand about Kapernick’s case is that there is a much bigger financial impact beyond the $60 million settlement. It was reported that Kaepernick’s social justice work amounted to more than $100 million in business opportunities. This means that when the NFL decided to pay out the settlement, they weren’t just helping the athlete, they were basically boosting their own revenue by investing in the opportunities that Kapernick had taken advantage of.
That’s one of the reasons why I believe Kaepernick’s settlement is so important; it was a sign that the NFL was finally beginning to pay attention to their employee’s grievances and taking steps to address the mistreatment of players. However, I don’t think that this is enough to rectify all of the wrongs that have been done to players and I will always stand with Kaepernick in his fight for social justice and fairness.
I think it’s also important to know that Kaepernick was hardly the only player to receive such a hefty sum from the NFL. Many other players have received settlements since his case, some for even larger amounts. Although $60 million may be the highest sum that any one player has received, it’s clear that Kaepernick’s case has paved the way for other players to receive the justice and compensation they are due.
The news of the settlement comes at a time when a lot of people are beginning to think about the fairness of the NFL’s practices and what needs to be done to ensure that all players are treated fairly. It’s encouraging to see the changes that are beginning to take place and I think that Kaepernick and his fight for justice are largely responsible for some of the positive changes in the organization.