Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium
Kaepernick Freestyle Misses Mark, NFL Didn’t Silence Him
Colin Kaepernick didn’t sign a non-disparagement agreement with the NFL, despite what Jay-Z claimed during his Yankee Stadium performance Friday night. According to sources with direct knowledge of the 2019 settlement, that restriction simply doesn’t exist in the deal.
During his opening set, Jay took aim at critics in a freestyle rap, saying: “They run out of characters, had to bring back up Kap again. Buddy took a check, I ain’t even mad at him, but along with that check you have to sign a non-disparagement. I’m the one they can’t control.”
The allegation raised eyebrows. Seven years removed from his settlement with the league, where he’d claimed teams were colluding to keep him out, Kaepernick has been free to speak his mind. The evidence is everywhere—social media posts tracking how many days it’s been since a team hired him, constant criticism directed at NFL organizations. None of that would be possible under a non-disparagement clause.
“Colin couldn’t post about how many days it’s been since a team hired him if he’d agreed not to say anything bad about the NFL,” one source explained. The timeline of his public statements alone disproves Jay’s freestyle claim.
The timing of the dig is strange. There’s no obvious reason to resurrect the Kaepernick conversation now, though one possibility emerged: Colin Kaepernick has been in the news recently for his philanthropic work. He and Tyler Perry are covering funeral services and a private autopsy for Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager who died under unclear circumstances last week.
The broader context matters too. When Roc Nation began producing Super Bowl Halftime shows for the NFL, critics accused Jay-Z of abandoning Kaepernick after years of public support during the kneeling movement. That narrative has largely faded over nearly a decade. Reopening it now—especially with inaccurate claims—feels counterproductive.
The rest of Friday’s event drew praise for its star power: Beyoncé, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Eminem, Usher, Nas, and Pharrell Williams all performed. The Kaepernick freestyle stood out as an unnecessary sour note.
Both Kaepernick and the NFL are bound by confidentiality agreements on the settlement terms. Jay’s team hasn’t responded to requests for comment on the false claim.
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