Colin Kaepernick first sitting, then kneeling, during preseason games last year ignited a radical media firestorm concerning nationalist pride and racial injustice.

Over a year later, the “protests” linger on as the NFL pivots between the rights of their players, to the grievances expressed by the president and his base.  Kaepernick is one of the only people who still remains scarred from his examples of free speech — a free agent who appears to have been blacklisted by the league.

On Oct. 15, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL that suggests collusion is happening within the organization.  This is not a way for Kaepernick to revel in his glory as a quarterback, but understand why 39 backup quarterbacks have signed before him.

Without getting too technical, the former 49er was quite a success when he appeared on the field.  He played in two National Football Conference (NFC) championship games and nearly made it to a Super Bowl.  This is not a question of talent on his part, rather a fear of sensationalism and aggression for giving him a spot on behalf of a team and their fans.

It seems as though the NFL would rather hire second string quarterbacks than take a risk in signing a controversial, yet entirely capable, athlete.

In order to gain a spot and show his talent, Kaepernick has said he that would stand for the anthem if given the opportunity.  Keeping with his cause, he plans to donate all his jersey sales so the money will go back into communities affected by violence and racial injustice.

While the media (typically right-leaning organizations like Fox) have painted his actions as a means to boost to his public persona or a way to distract from his supposedly poor playing, Kaepernick has only ever signified that his actions were meant to address the problems happening in the country. 

He never wanted to draw unnecessary attention to himself, only the issues. If the armed forces and veterans were offended by his statement of free speech, they failed to understand the importance of it as a right of the Constitution and country they fight to hold sacred.

Who really needs to adjust their perception on right or wrong is the NFL. The league has long stirred controversy for continuing to let abusive and violent players perform on the field.

Josh Brown, Greg Hardy and our very own Ben Roethlisberger are just a few of the players who got off with little to no consequences after being accused of physical or sexual assault.

The same could be said for players with records that include drug and gun charges. 

It’s fine to sweep these actions under the rug because they happen in private, not on the field for a football-obsessed nation to see. Keeping the violent players ties into the idea of preserving the business of the league, while Kaepernick kneeling is only seen as a loss of money in relation to ticket sales or advertising.  Standing up against the elitist corporations on behalf of the people struggling to use their voices does not seem to matter to the NFL.

Until Kaepernick gets the spot he so deserves, here’s hoping he continues to be the defiant, afro-donning, activist we know him to be.