Colin Kaepernick accuses NFL of ‘colluding’ against Macklemore amid ‘Free Palestine’ controversy

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick accused New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other NFL owners of “openly colluding” to force Macklemore off Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour following the rapper’s pro-Palestinian remarks.

Kaepernick drew a direct comparison between Macklemore’s removal and his own allegation that NFL owners conspired to keep him out of the league after he began protesting during the national anthem in 2016.

“What Robert Kraft and what they’re saying by denying Macklemore the opportunity to go out and perform with Ed Sheeran is that they are willing to collude,” Kaepernick told Ben Meiselas during a MeidasTouch interview. “They are openly colluding.”

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Macklemore had been scheduled to open for Sheeran at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by Kraft’s company, as part of the singer’s “Loop Tour.” However, Macklemore said Sheeran informed him that Kraft objected to his appearance and contacted other NFL stadium owners after the rapper used his performances at MetLife Stadium to say “Free Palestine,” criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement and perform his Gaza protest song “Hind’s Hall.”

Kraft confirmed that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium but disputed the suggestion that the decision was intended to silence advocacy for Palestinians. He instead cited what he characterized as Macklemore’s history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group subsequently removed Macklemore from the remaining dates, saying multiple venues had indicated they would not host the concerts with him on the bill. Sheeran said the decision belonged to the promoter and maintained that he had attempted to facilitate a conversation between Macklemore and Kraft.

Kaepernick argued that the episode demonstrated the willingness of powerful owners to coordinate when they believe their interests are threatened.

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“They also want people to know that if you take an action that they don’t agree with, they will come for you,” Kaepernick said. “They will organize against you, which means that we collectively have to organize to be able to protect our interests as well.”

“When we filed the grievance, it was like, ‘well, the owners wouldn’t do that. Everybody just wants to win within the NFL,'” he added elsewhere in the interview. “And the realization is, ‘no. They want to protect their interests. They want to protect their power. They want to protect their money.'”

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March 2017 and has not appeared in an NFL game since the end of the 2016 season. He filed a grievance later in 2017 accusing NFL owners of colluding to prevent teams from signing him in response to his protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

The league denied that its teams conspired against Kaepernick. The two sides reached a confidential settlement in 2019 without a ruling on the merits of his claim.

Kaepernick also used the MeidasTouch interview to revisit the NFL’s response to the player-led protest movement. He referenced a 2017 meeting at which Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula reportedly said the league needed a prominent Black spokesperson to help resolve the controversy surrounding the demonstrations.

Kaepernick claimed the NFL initially attempted to work through the Players Coalition before approaching him about leading its social-justice initiatives. He said he rejected the proposal and accused rapper Jay-Z of eventually stepping “into that role” through his partnership with the league.

Kaepernick characterized Jay-Z as the “Black face” NFL owners sought to help “subvert the protests,” arguing that the partnership redirected attention away from police killings, incarceration and resources for Black communities.

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The NFL and Roc Nation announced their partnership in 2019, giving Jay-Z’s company a role in the league’s live-entertainment strategy and social-justice initiative. At the time, Jay-Z said the country had moved beyond kneeling and should focus on actionable change.

Macklemore, meanwhile, pledged to donate the $1 million he said he earned from Sheeran’s tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians and publicly invited Kraft to match the contribution. Kraft later said Sheeran had already privately asked him to contribute $2 million toward humanitarian relief.

The remaining supporting acts on Sheeran’s tour, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrew amid the controversy.

Kaepernick said the fallout strengthened the parallel he sees between Macklemore’s experience and his departure from the NFL.

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“They want to protect their interests,” Kaepernick said. “They want to protect their power. They want to protect their money.”