Earlier this week, it was the shock that rocked the sports world when it was announced that the NFL had reached a financial settlement with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid.
Kaepernick was first to file a lawsuit against the league, with Eric Reid joining later, that alleged the owners were colluding to keep them out of the NFL because of their stance during the National Anthem.
Reid had signed by the Panthers during the 2018 season and was given a 3-year deal to continue his career, but continued to keep his lawsuit in tact.
It turns out that it was for a very good reason, because the NFL may have been concerned about “very embarrassing” evidence that had been discovered by the other side, according to Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicl.
“Early on in the lawsuit, I was hearing from sources that if the case ever went to trial, there were pieces of evidence that would be ‘very embarrassing’ to the league,” Ostler wrote.
Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman backed up that claim soon after:
“I had also heard [about the evidence] (pre-settlement),” Freeman wrote. “The Kaepernick side had obtained massively embarrassing information to the league during discovery process.”
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“If the league thought it could beat the collusion lawsuit, it seems highly unlikely it would have settled. The league would have loved to go to court and win this one, especially in light of recent negative stories,” Ostler wrote,
“Another major incentive for the league to win the suit, rather than settle: A majority of the league’s players — and virtually all of the protesters — are black. The NFL, had it won the suit, could have proved that it did not blackball Kaepernick for the crime of crusading for social and racial justice.”
Now, we know why the league wanted to keep everything confidential.
