Malcolm Jenkins: We Can't Take NFL 'Serious' Due to Colin Kaepernick Situation

New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said he cannot take the NFL's efforts in social justice seriously until the league acknowledges Colin Kaepernick, per Sean Gregory of Time:   

"I think the first step is acknowledging what Colin Kaepernick stood for. Him in particular. Not players in general. What he stood for and what he put on the line. And now, where we are as a country, give him his 'I told you so' moment. That's the first thing. And then secondly, we all want to see him have an opportunity to play. What that looks like I don't think anybody knows. I think a workout or a tryout is a very simple thing to do. There are two sides to that relationship, so we'll see."

Kaepernick, 32, has been out of the NFL the last three seasons after he protested police brutality and discrimination against people of color during the national anthem in 2016. His form of protest divided fans and the league at the time, though public sentiment has moved in his favor amid the nationwide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

Earlier this month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell posted a video apologizing for the league's past attempts to quell peaceful protests and encouraged players to demonstrate moving forward. Goodell did not, however, publicly acknowledge Kaepernick in the video. 

"We can't take you serious because of the Colin Kaepernick situation," Jenkins said. "We don't know where your heart is. If they want to really help, and not be a voice in this fight that is confusing or muddies the water, the first thing they need to do is take on this Colin Kaepernick issue head on, and start there."

Goodell told ESPN's Mike Greenberg last week that he would "encourage" a team to sign Kaepernick. He added he wanted to forge a relationship with Kaepernick, even if he remains unsigned: 

"If his efforts are not on the field but continuing to work in this space, we welcome him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities. We have invited him in before, and we want to make sure that everybody's welcome at that table and trying to help us deal with some very complex, difficult issues that have been around for a long time. But I hope we're at a point now where everybody's committed to making long-term, sustainable change."

Last year, Kaepernick and the NFL settled a collusion lawsuit in which the quarterback accused league owners of blackballing him because of his protests during the anthem. From a statistical perspective, there is no precedent for a young quarterback with Kaepernick's accomplishments to go unsigned.