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On Tuesday, we learned Colin Kaepernick will head to Atlanta this weekend to showcase his current skillset as he attempts to make his return to the NFL following a three-year absence from the league.
The announcement came out of nowhere and left many people wondering exactly why it took so long for the NFL to organize the workout, which more than a few insiders believe is a dog and pony show designed to appease the masses who believe he’s been blackballed.
On Wednesday, Adam Schefter claimed Roger Goodell was guilted into putting the event together but it wasn’t exactly clear why he finally succumbed to the pressure, and now, it looks like there could be one possible culprit in the form of Jay-Z.
Shortly after Schefter asserted his claim, Ian Rappoport spoke with NFL Now to shed some additional light on the situation and said the rapper—who teamed up with the league over the summer to help spearhead a social justice initiative—had a hand in making the workout come to fruition.
Two notes: 1. Jay-Z, a partner with the NFL on social justice, had some influence here. 2. This is not part of Kaepernick’s settlement, nor did he ask for this in his settlement. https://t.co/6l7z3MYJ5x
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 13, 2019
This is certainly a bit of an interesting twist when you consider Kaepernick’s rocky relationship with Jay-Z, as the quarterback fired a shot at the artist for saying “we’re past kneeling” shortly after the partnership was announced (he also accused him and the league of attempting to exploit social justice initiatives for profit).
With that said, this is likely Kaepernick’s best chance at earning a spot on an NFL roster so something tells me he’ll let bygones be bygones if Rappoport’s report is true.