Colin Kaepernick has characterized the National Football League's public stance against racism as "performative," leveling criticism at Commissioner Roger Goodell's 2020 response to the protests following George Floyd's death. Kaepernick, who is promoting his upcoming memoir, stated in an interview with NBC News that Goodell's video condemning racism and systemic oppression was "only because of pressure from players, not because it was altruistic."
Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, argued that the league's social justice initiatives, such as painting "End Racism" in end zones and approving "Black Lives Matter" on helmets, were public relations moves to avoid backlash. He specifically called Goodell's message "laughable" and "disingenuous," particularly given that Kaepernick himself was attempting to return to the league at the time.
"We had been trying to address the issue that the NFL created with blackballing me for years. To come out and say we should have listened on the back of that — while I’m still actively trying to play in the NFL — it’s so performative," Kaepernick said.
The commentary comes as Kaepernick is engaged in a media tour for his new book. He has previously drawn controversy for comparing the NFL scouting combine to a slave auction in the Netflix docuseries "Colin in Black & White," a comparison that drew criticism. Kaepernick settled a grievance in 2019 accusing the league and its owners of colluding to keep him out of the NFL, a case in which neither side admitted wrongdoing.
Kaepernick's critique of the league's actions as "performative" aligns with observations that the NFL's messaging on social justice issues may have been driven by financial and public relations considerations rather than purely altruistic motives.
