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Look: Colin Kaepernick Appears to Take Jab at Jay-Z in Praising Eric Reid, More
August 18, 2019
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick offered words of encouragement for Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid and Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson:
Kaepernick notably knelt during the national anthem when he was in the NFL as a way of protesting racial injustice and police brutality, and the three players he mentioned in his tweet have done the same. Reid did so alongside Kaepernick when they were both members of the 49ers.
The message of support comes after Reid publicly stood up for Kaepernick in the wake of the NFL announcing it partnered with Jay-Z's Roc Nation as a way to "enhance the NFL's live game experiences and to amplify the league's social justice efforts."
Jay-Z also issued a statement on the partnership through the agency's Twitter account:
It is not difficult to see Kaepernick's tweet as something of a barb directed at Jay-Z. TMZ Sports noted the latter said "we've moved past kneeling" to "actionable items" during a joint press conference with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discussing the new partnership, and Kaepernick specifically thanked Reid, Stills and Wilson because they "have never moved past the people."
TMZ Sports also cited sources on Friday who said the rap mogul will eventually have "significant ownership interest" in an NFL team.
Reid told reporters Jay-Z was "approaching" sellout status and wondered: "If Jay-Z is gonna be an owner, is Colin [Kaepernick] gonna be signed the day he becomes the owner of a team? We'll see. I think he has a very small window with an ownership position to make a move to get Colin on the field, whatever team he's on."
The safety was also critical of Jay-Z on social media.
As for Kaepernick, he has still not been signed by an NFL team since he played for the 49ers from 2011 through 2016. He helped lead the NFC West team to a Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game in back-to-back years but has remained out of the league since he opted out of his contract in March 2017.
He and Reid reached a confidential settlement with the NFL after they sued the league for collusion.