Colin Kaepernick is still a free agent after holding his own workout for NFL teams in Atlanta and one Georgia congressman is letting the NFL know he is watching them. TMZ caught up with Hank Johnson, who claims Kaepernick is a “victim” as he’s been out of the league since the end of the 2016 season. Johnson said Congress can take a look at the NFL’s anti-trust exemption and it could be taken away.
“It’s possible that Congress can do something,” Johnson says … “Congress oversees the anti-trust exemption that we gave the NFL. The NFL is doing quite well with that anti-trust exemption, maybe it’s time for us to take a fresh look at it.”
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The anti-trust exemption allows teams to work together in order to get bigger broadcasting deals. That’s the big reason why teams don’t have their own broadcasting deals right now because working together means more money for the teams and the NFL. But Johnson said Congress can take it away from the league it would cost them billions.
“Maybe [the NFL feels] a little heat about their anti-trust exemption and the fact that the Judiciary Committee stands ready under the leadership of the chair of the anti-trust subcommittee David Cicilline to perhaps look at that anti-trust exemption.”
Odds are congress won’t take that away from the NFL because Kaepernick already filed a grievance against the NFL for collusion, which was settled out of court. And with the 2019 season coming to an end, it might be better for Kaepernick to sign with a team in 2020, because any deal he gets will be for one year.
Seven teams were at Drew High School in Riverdale to see Kaepernick in action. However, the NFL scheduled a workout for him at the Atlanta Falcons‘ facility and 25 teams were in attendance. Kaepernick decided to not go to that workout because the media could not cover it.
If Kaepernick doesn’t get signed this season, it’s unlikely he will give up. It has recently been reported that the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is considering holding a second workout in March during the owner’s meeting in Florida. Head coaches and general managers will beat the meeting so they will have an opportunity to evaluate Kaepernick and possibly sign him for next year.
