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Jed York doesn’t believe Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed

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49ers CEO Jed York was reportedly an outspoken voice in a joint meeting between NFL owners and players earlier this week, that focused on how the league can begin to better address the topics of police brutality and racial inequality that have been the subject of player protests since last season.

Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first player to start these protests, kneeling for the national anthem for all of last season. His former teammate Eric Reid, has continued to do the same on the 49ers’ sideline this season, and has had the support of York, as did Kaepernick, to do what he believes is best.

While York has been one of the few owners to support player protests from the beginning, he doesn’t necessarily believe there is merit to Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the leauge that claims he has been “blackballed” by the 32 owners. Kaepernick, who posted a 90.7 QB rating last season, is still un-signed since he opted out of his contract with the 49ers at the beginning of the season.

“It’s very difficult for me to say that with Colin being here for a long period of time,” York told reporters Thursday. “Obviously, there’s the lawsuit that’s going on, so it’s hard for me to get into any details or really share my opinion, but I don’t believe that there’s base to that claim that he’s being blackballed.”

York was also asked about what the owners and players discussed during their meeting in New York.

“I think the more that you had owners and players together, not just me meeting with 49ers players but several owners meeting with players from different teams, and it’s not about collective bargaining issues, it’s not about workplace environment, it’s really understanding where different people come from,” York said. “You’re seeing people who might not understand that firsthand and they’re getting a much better perspective.

“And for me, I am not the most left-wing person in the world. I realize people are trying to sort of paint me as that…That’s not my background politically and how I grew up, but I think a lot of these things are common-sense issues, and when you actually sit down and talk to people and you know where people are coming from, it’s hard to not be sympathetic and empathetic.”