Colin Kaepernick ready to battle NFL owners, files grievance

Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick has filed a grievance against National Football League (NFL) owners for collusion, according to several reports. Kaepernick and his team will cite bylaws in the league's new collective bargaining agreement in their fight against the NFL.

Kaepernick, will however, not be represented by the NFL Players Assocation. The former Niners star will be represented by popular attorney Mark Geragos, who has fought cases for several high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson, musician Chris Brown and NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield.

Last year, Kaepernick began the process of kneeling during The Star-Spangled Banner, protesting police brutality against minorities. After Donald Trump asked NFL owners to "fire" players protesting the national anthem, several athletes across sports began taking a collective stance against the U.S. President. During pre-game drills, several NFL players began wearing shirts that read "#IMWITHKAP" to show support to Kaepernick.

Colin Kaepernick still can't find a job in the NFL

Kaepernick has struggled to find a starting or backup job in any of the 32 NFL teams, leading many to believe that the league has blacklisted the free agent quarterback. The filing, which demands an arbitration hearing, states that the NFL and its owners "have colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick's leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice and his bringing awareness to peculiar institutions still undermining racial equality in the United States."

A copy of the complaint has been sent to the NFLPA, besides the NFL and all 32 teams. Kaepernick's attorney tweeted out the following statement on Sunday:

"If the NFL (as well as all professional sports teams) is to remain a meritocracy, then principled and peaceful protest -- which the owners themselves made great theatre imitating weeks ago -- should not be punished and athletes should not be denied employment based on partisan political provocation by the Executive Branch of our government. Such a precedent threatens all patriotic Americans and harkens back to our darkest days as a nation. Protecting all athletes from such collusive conduct is what compelled Mr. Kaepernick to file his grievance."