Report: Kaepernick Legal Team Wants Depositions From Ex-Papa John's CEO, Goodell's Wife
Colin Kaepernick's legal team has requested a deposition from former Papa John's CEO John Schnatter to see if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had any role in Schnatter's remarks blaming NFL leadership over national anthem protests by football players, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
Schnatter stepped down as CEO in January. He blamed the declining NFL viewership and the players kneeling during the national anthem as reasons behind the slowing sales growth of the pizza company. He said the controversy was "polarizing the customer, polarizing the country." Papa John's apologized after white supremacists backed Schnatter's comments.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October that alleged he remains a free agent due to collusion by the NFL owners. Kaepernick was the first player to take a knee during the national anthem before an NFL game to protest and raise awareness for the racial injustices in America.
Jane Goodell, the wife of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, has also been added to the deposition request list, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Roger Goodell is among those who have been asked to turn over records of text messages, emails and telephone records. Jane Goodell is on the request list after she reportedly used a Twitter account to defend her husband against articles and comments that criticized his handling of league issues. Jane Goodell defended the account and said it was made to protect her husband against inaccurate reporting. The account was made private and later deleted after a Wall Street Journal report.
