© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos general manager John Elway is the latest in a long line of individuals to testify in former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s collusion case against the NFL, as reported by The Athletic.
Elway was interested in trading for Kaepernick when the quarterback was still under contract with the 49ers during the 2016 offseason, following the retirement of Payton Manning. Elway’s decision on whether or not to pull the trigger was contingent on Kaepernick renegotiating his contract, which was due to pay the quarterback $14.3 million that season. Kaepernick eventually stayed in San Francisco, playing out the final year of his deal before parting ways with the organization in March of 2017.
Kaepernick hasn’t played an NFL game since, and is now a few months from going two full offseasons without receiving a contract offer from an NFL team. Kaepernick filed a grievance case against the league last year, claiming NFL owners conspired to not sign him because of protests during the national anthem.
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Here’s what Elway said last offseason when asked about the protests:
“Everybody has the right to do what they wish to do and their beliefs are their beliefs…One thing that where we stand and I can stand with the Broncos is that you know what, that’s OK, we’ll respect that and whatever you want to do is fine with us. But the bottom line is, that can’t get in the way of our main goal and that is to compete for World Championships.”
Elway was deposed at the Broncos team headquarters in Denver. According to The Athletic , commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Texans owner Bob McNair, Ravens coach John Harbaugh and former Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and Seahawks GM John Schneider have also testified in the case.
A photo of Kaepernick at the Denver International Airport surfaced earlier today:
At DIA today! Interesting. pic.twitter.com/67Rta0Hb3W
— Darren McKee (@dmac1043) May 15, 2018