Aaron Rodgers knows that Colin Kaepernick isn’t on an NFL roster because he had the audacity to protest the killings of unarmed African-American men, women and children at the hands of police.
Rodgers noted that anyone who believes that Kaepernick is still a free agent because of his abilities and not his protest would be “ignorant,” ESPN the Magazine reports.
“I think he should be on a roster right now,” Rodgers told ESPN. “I think because of his protests, he’s not.”
Rodgers, 33, added that he had no intention of doing the protest, which he called “peaceful and respectful.”
“I’m gonna stand because that’s the way I feel about the flag—but I’m also 100 percent supportive of my teammates or any fellow players who are choosing not to,” Rodgers told ESPN. “They have a battle for racial equality. That’s what they’re trying to get a conversation started around.”
He continued, “I think the best way I can say this is: I don’t understand what it’s like to be in that situation. What it is to be pulled over, or profiled, or any number of issues that have happened, that Colin was referencing—or any of my teammates have talked to me about.”
Rodgers also noted that he was trying to deepen his understanding of racial equality but did add that the country needs to “remedy and improve” racial relations.
Kaepernick’s protest began in August 2016 after several killings of unarmed African-American men, women and children.
“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 said after being asked about his protest. “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.”
Kaepernick isn’t on a team while Jay Cutler, who has trouble putting spoons into the spoon cutout slot inside the plastic utensil holder, has a job in the NFL as a quarterback.
Read more at ESPN the Magazine.