Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
newsNov 27, 202512:00pending

THE BEEFING: Colin Kaepernick vs the NFL

The Briefing

About this episode

Colin Kaepernick was a star quarterback in the NFL, but his decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016, in protest against racial inequality and police brutality, ended up costing him his career.   

His silent gesture exposed deep power imbalances between players and team owners, sparking a league-wide reckoning - with his beef resulting in athletes being able to protest the national anthem without facing the same consequences he did.  

In this episode of The Beefing, Helen Smith unpacks how Kaepernick was quietly side-lined by all 32 teams, why it took the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement for the NFL to shift its stance and what prompted Donald Trump to label him a ‘son of a bitch.’ 

Follow The Briefing: 
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
Facebook: @LiSTNR Newsroom 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get every episode summarized

Each time The Briefing publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

THE BEEFING: Colin Kaepernick vs the NFL

The Briefing

0:00
12:00

More episodes

More from The Briefing

View all episodes →