Tony Dungy Says Colin Kaepernick Will Be Seen Differently After George Floyd

Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy believes the perception of Colin Kaepernick will change in the wake of George Floyd being killed while in Minneapolis police custody and the ensuing protests against police brutality and racial injustice. 

Appearing on ESPN's First Take, Dungy explained there's "no doubt" Kaepernick has been held out of the NFL because of his decision to protest during the national anthem, but history will look back on his activism the way people ultimately did with Muhammad Ali:

"We saw the same thing happen, you guys are old enough to remember Muhammad Ali, and Muhammad Ali, at the beginning of his statements about not going into the service, he was looked at one way, and at the end, it was totally different because people’s opinions changed based on having a little bit more knowledge of the circumstances. So I think Colin is going to be looked at much differently now going forward than he was three years ago. I do think he’s good enough to play in the league and I think he should be in the league.”

Floyd was killed after being pinned facedown to the ground by officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he was unable to breathe. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers at the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin.

Kaepernick hasn't been signed by an NFL team since opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers after the 2016 season. He had protested against police brutality and systemic racism during the national anthem before games that season. 

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL.com's Steve Wyche in August 2016. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

On Thursday, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke about the team's decision not to pursue signing Kaepernick in 2017, saying "We didn't listen."