Advertising Read more

New York (AFP)

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, an NFL free agent who last year began the kneeling protest during US anthems that became a major controversy, has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL, according to multiple reports.

CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and ESPN-ABC reported that the 29-year-old signal caller who spent six seasons with the 49ers has gone to court rather than go through the NFL Players Association with his grievance claim.

Kaepernick claims owners have colluded to keep him out of the league because of his protests during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" last year.

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March but found no team willing to sign him despite success that included leading the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl, where they lost to Baltimore 34-31.

An ABC report said the grievance claims owners "colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick's leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice."

Tensions were raised about the kneeling when US President Donald Trump last month called any NFL player kneeling during the anthem a "son of a bitch" and said they should be fired.

That has prompted a rise in the number of players who kneel or link arms in a sign of unity over the past four weeks and set the stage for the players union and league executives and owners to talk about the matter in depth next week at regularly scheduled club owners meetings.

US Vice President Mike Pence walked out on an NFL game last weekend in Indianapolis when about 20 players for the 49ers kneeled during the anthem, a move Trump later took credit for on Twitter.

Kaepernick has reportedly hired attorney Mark Geragos, whose past clients have included Michael Jackson and musician Chris Brown.

CBS reported earlier this month that Kaepernick has been ready to work out in private for NFL teams and sought to be judged only as a player while staying quiet during the controversy to avoid becoming a distraction.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has denied the league has deliberately kept Kaepernick off of rosters, but as quarterbacks have become injured in recent weeks he had not been given a tryout by any team, at least in public.

Kaepernick has completed nearly 60 percent of his career NFL passes for 12,271 yards and 72 touchdowns with 30 interceptions over 69 NFL games.

© 2017 AFP